A review by sagoprojector
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky

challenging dark funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A slow, dense, yet very rewarding read for how riveting and challenging Dostoevsky’s storytelling is here: could compassion and sincerity of the heart truly change a vain society riddled with moral decay? Prince Myshkin has rightfully earned a place in my mind whenever I think about characters with some of the most tragic fates in any story. Dostoevsky’s novel obviously takes place in 19th century Russia, and while The Idiot is a critique of how rotten and corrupted a Russian society could get, but I feel like this story is also emblematic of the current zeitgeist. I saw an excerpt from the edition of the book that I read that succinctly describes this book: “The Idiot is Dostoevsky’s most contemporary novel.”

Another entry added to my favorite reads of the year.