Take a photo of a barcode or cover
(3.5 stars)
I really am surprised at this book... there is so much beauty in the writing, but the story runs around in circles. What made this book so intriguing was the possibility that Myshkin (the protagonist) could have been merely called an idiot, merely for his innocence and candor. What was ultimately so frustrating about this book was that Myshkin did, indeed, end up acting like an idiot.
Part 1 and Part 2 were easily the best parts. Dostoevsky deftly sets up the premise and the characters, and we quickly get a sense for the motivation for each character. There are some small arcs that are already forming, and some seem to come to a satisfying conclusion.
However, from Part 3 onward, the sense of character development seems either stifled, as a character seems never to change, or sudden, as a character makes a change that seems neither "in character" or sensible even to their own motives. In addition, the main conflict which is, essentially, a love triangle, begins to become tiresome.
As for the ending, I was unfortunately spoiled because of a character list I was looking at to keep track of all of the characters. Even so, the ending was not... satisfying to me, at least not like the ending to The Brothers Karamazov. There was no catharsis for me, no sense that something had really happened. All of it was telegraphed in Part 2; not with fine detail, but with the whole general ending in mind.
I think there are lovely parts, especially the briefly mentioned "beauty will save the world" quote. My only frustration is that, while there were beautiful moments, Dostoevsky didn't stay and let the reader hear the long, winded, chapters on chapters of "beauty will save the world". Almost certainly it was a choice, but I wanted more of the beauty and less of the... love triangle.
All this is to say that I think The Idiot is a pleasant enough read, but it doesn't hold a candle to Dostoevsky's other works that I've read. Maybe that's an unfair judgement, and maybe it's unfair to compare, but I can't help but do so.
I really am surprised at this book... there is so much beauty in the writing, but the story runs around in circles. What made this book so intriguing was the possibility that Myshkin (the protagonist) could have been merely called an idiot, merely for his innocence and candor. What was ultimately so frustrating about this book was that Myshkin did, indeed, end up acting like an idiot.
Part 1 and Part 2 were easily the best parts. Dostoevsky deftly sets up the premise and the characters, and we quickly get a sense for the motivation for each character. There are some small arcs that are already forming, and some seem to come to a satisfying conclusion.
However, from Part 3 onward, the sense of character development seems either stifled, as a character seems never to change, or sudden, as a character makes a change that seems neither "in character" or sensible even to their own motives. In addition, the main conflict which is, essentially, a love triangle, begins to become tiresome.
As for the ending, I was unfortunately spoiled because of a character list I was looking at to keep track of all of the characters. Even so, the ending was not... satisfying to me, at least not like the ending to The Brothers Karamazov. There was no catharsis for me, no sense that something had really happened. All of it was telegraphed in Part 2; not with fine detail, but with the whole general ending in mind.
I think there are lovely parts, especially the briefly mentioned "beauty will save the world" quote. My only frustration is that, while there were beautiful moments, Dostoevsky didn't stay and let the reader hear the long, winded, chapters on chapters of "beauty will save the world". Almost certainly it was a choice, but I wanted more of the beauty and less of the... love triangle.
All this is to say that I think The Idiot is a pleasant enough read, but it doesn't hold a candle to Dostoevsky's other works that I've read. Maybe that's an unfair judgement, and maybe it's unfair to compare, but I can't help but do so.