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lnatal's review against another edition
3.0
From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
Russia, 1859: The Manor of Stephanchikovo has been thrown into chaos by the activities of a former sergeant who has set himself up as an arbiter of morals and taste. When he interferes in the marriage plans of the family, the whole situation explodes.
Stars David Suchet, Margot Boyd and Clive Merrison. Dramatised by David Blum and directed by Martin Jenkins.
Russia, 1859: The Manor of Stephanchikovo has been thrown into chaos by the activities of a former sergeant who has set himself up as an arbiter of morals and taste. When he interferes in the marriage plans of the family, the whole situation explodes.
Stars David Suchet, Margot Boyd and Clive Merrison. Dramatised by David Blum and directed by Martin Jenkins.
brynhammond's review against another edition
4.0
Features one of D.’s excessively-good characters in the uncle. Who does not come to a bad end like Prince Myshkin from The Idiot. Yes, he is mostly ineffectual against the domestic tyrant installed in his house – except for one moment of crisis when he is effectual indeed – but he is a total dear. To portray goodness was always one of D.’s artistic aims, and he recognised it as one of the hardest things to do. His achievements in this area suffer critical neglect, too, in favour of the bad people, like the tyrant in this (I thought of a vain Malvolio who doesn’t get his comeuppance) – but D. announced with enthusiasm to his brother that in this novel he had created two types that he had studied in life but didn’t see represented in the Russian novel. Both these characters have a future with Dostoyevsky; he said he had put his heart and soul into this short work, which is taken for a farce and a frolic – obviously he knew these two personalities, a festering ingrown ego and a naïve selflessness, were crucial expressions for him.
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