Why You Should Read Dostoevsky
Dostoyevsky beyond Crime and Punishment
For most of my life, I have not been much of a fiction reader. But in 2018, I gave it a serious try, particularly about Russian literature (I am lucky to be able to read these masterpieces in the original language), and I fell in love with it. Since then, I have read tens of thousands of pages of Russian literature and haven’t looked back since. You can find the article I wrote about my experiences and views on Russian literature here.
As I got into my reading quest, I often carried books with me. This led to some interesting conversations (it is amazing how popular Russian Literature is in Türkiye, where I live). One of the topics that came up time and again was Dostoevsky, particularly Crime and Punishment. One of the masterpieces of world literature. But while it was impressive to see how many people had read the novel, or knew about it, it was significantly fewer people who had read any other works by Dostoevsky. Beyond Crime and Punishment, there was typically very little to talk about.
This is unfortunate. Dostoevsky’s literary legacy is worthwhile to explore. It is profound and is rich with works that delve into the complexities of human nature, spirituality, morality, and existentialism. Let me try to convince you why you should read more of Dostoevsky, and highlight the specific works that I believe are not to be missed.
Let’s start with why. Dostoevsky has had a profound impact on literature, psychology, and philosophy. Friedrich Nietzsche said about Dostoevsky that he was “the only psychologist I have anything to learn from”. Dostoevsky basically launched Existentialism with his Notes from the Underground, and heavily influenced Camus, Kafka, and Sartre. Or did you know that Martin Scorcese’s Taxi Driver with Robert de Niro is closely based on Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground? Or this — when Mario Puzo wrote The Godfather, he was inspired by Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. Or take Woody Allen’s Match Point — and the obvious parallels of the story with Crime and Punishment.
Reading Dostoevsky’s works can be a deeply enriching and thought-provoking experience for several reasons:
- He is a master at exploring and describing human psychology. His characters grapple with moral dilemmas and inner conflicts. Dostoevsky shows the inner darkness and inner struggles that we can often relate to. Making moral choices is a typical theme — the complexities of how people arrive at these decisions, how they fail to make moral choices, and the consequences of their actions shown through the lens of his characters provoke ethical introspection. Intricate insights into the minds of his characters are what makes Dostoevsky’s works unique for his time and frankly, for any time.
- His novels often explore philosophical (including existential) themes. Dostoevsky often goes into complex topics, purpose and meaning of life, the search for meaning, the nature of free will, the existence of God, religion, the nature of evil, suffering, and morality, prompting us, the readers, to reflect on our beliefs and philosophies.
- His social and political commentary. Dostoevsky critically examines the social and political issues of his time, in Russia, including poverty, radical ideologies, dangers of groupthink, and class struggle. He was clearly against the serfdom system but did not approve of egalitarian systems and utopias (in some of his works he seemingly foresaw the arrival of communism).
- He creates complex and nuanced characters. Dostoevsky’s characters are not good or bad. They feel real, relatable, multi-dimensional, flawed, and deeply human. Alyosha, Dmitri, and Ivan Karamazovs, as well as their father Fyodor, Prince Myshkin, Rodion Raskolnikov, Father Zosima, Nastasya Filipovna, Sonia Marmeladova, Grushenka, Nikolai Stavrogin, the Underground Man and so many others.
- His works have cultural and historical significance. Dostoevsky created some of the best works of the classical literature. Familiarity with his works is essential for anyone interested in the history and development of literature.
- His works leave a strong and lasting emotional impact. Dostoevsky’s works evoke strong emotions. Regardless of whether it is tension or philosophical debates, reading Dostoevsky can be intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging. After every work of his I read, I wanted to read the views of literary critics and ordinary readers. The novel itself was not enough. I felt like I needed to have a discussion with someone, to go over my takeaways and see if other people came out of the reading experience with different conclusions. I constantly caught myself forming very strong opinions on what characters did or did not.
I should add that something that seems to have strongly influenced Dostoevsky’s works is that at the age of 28, he was almost executed as he belonged to a group of dissidents and was pardoned at the last minute. He was instead sent to a Siberian labor camp, an experience that of course influenced Crime and Punishment, but also gave him plenty of material to work with, for example in constructing the detective elements in his novels — such as Brothers Karamazov.
Dostoevsky’s storylines have turns and twists, but it always feels natural. Believable. Even when unexpected. We see the extremes people are capable of. The good and the bad. As much as I love to read Bulgakov and Tolstoy, it is in Dostoevsky’s works that I feel like — yes, I can see this happening, I can see myself ending up in a similar predicament to his characters. And I think that is the most important thing that Dostoevsky manages to achieve in his work — we know it could be us. We could be Raskolnikov, or Myshkin, or Stavrogin. If the circumstances of our life are shaped differently, completely possible. As Solzhenitsyn said: “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either — but right through every human heart — and through all human hearts.”
In today’s fast-paced world, when we are anxious to learn (as we should), we might tend to focus on non-fiction. There is nothing wrong with that. But to understand ourselves, to understand other people, our communities, and societies, fiction is irreplaceable. And if you read fiction, read classics I say. Reading a few of Dostoevsky’s works might have a better impact on your understanding of yourself and others than going through a psychology textbook.
Here are my favorites of Dostoevsky’s works (other than Crime and Punishment) that I wholeheartedly recommend. I have only selected five, but you could easily extend this list with other amazing works by Dostoevsky:
- The Brothers Karamazov
- The Idiot
- Demons
- Notes from the Underground
- The Dream of a Ridiculous Man
Don’t forget Crime and Punishment of course. I assume you have already read it, and if you have not, add it to the list too. :)
The Brothers Karamazov, 1880
“I think the devil doesn’t exist, but man has created him, he has created him in his own image and likeness.” — Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
This line gave me chills. Naturally, this is a line by a character, not necessarily something Dostoevsky himself believed.
What is this almost 1,000-page book about? This is a detective story that is an exploration of faith, free will, doubt, and moral responsibility. The story is about three brothers, the mysterious murder of their father, and their complex family dynamics. Each brother is different — Dmitry is passionate and impulsive, Ivan is the rational intellectual, and the youngest Alesha is spiritual and compassionate. Through exploration of their actions, thought processes, and interactions (the story has a complex narrative structure — we get to see multiple perspectives) we examine the human soul and morality.
Freud called it “the most magnificent novel ever written”. Einstein called it “the ultimate psychological and philosophical novel, the most wonderful thing I’ve ever laid my hand on”. The Brothers Karamazov is Dostoevsky’s last great novel and it is the deepest and most complex one, arguably his greatest work.
The Idiot, 1868–1869
“Beauty Will Save the World” — Dostoevsky, The Idiot
At some 600 pages, Dostoevsky’s favorite work, The Idiot is about kindness and innocence in the world of cynicism and moral decay. It is the story of Prince Myshkin, a naive man (who others call an ‘idiot’) who returns to Russia after being abroad for epilepsy treatment (note that Dostoevsky himself was an epileptic). His moral purity is in stark contrast with the corrupt society of Saint Petersburg he finds himself in. Myshking, a version of Don Quixote, gets entangled in the lives of two women (amazing characters), Nastasya Filippovna and Aglaya Yepanchin, the story takes us through a series of complex, emotional, and tragic events, exploring themes of love, individual values versus societal norms, idealism versus pragmatism, atheism versus religion, trauma and guilt.
The Idiot was perhaps Dostoevsky’s most personal novel and an amazing exploration of the theme of good versus evil.
Demons, 1872
If you want to overcome the world, overcome yourself — Dostoevsky, Demons
At over 750 pages, Demons is perhaps one of Dostoevsky’s most underrated novels. I loved it. I read it and re-read it immediately after. Demons is perhaps the most political of Dostoevsky’s works. In a typical Dostoevsky style, it focuses on a murder story and explores themes of radicalism (particularly among the educated class), terrorism, extremism, and predicts the arrival of communism and its likely destructive consequences, but also critiques capitalism, particularly social inequality. Demons can be interpreted as a warning, which Russia unfortunately did not heed.
As usual, Dostoevsky paints a complex picture though. Not all revolutionaries are described as evil or nihilists. I think Dostoevsky’s genius was that he could appeal to young revolutionaries and religious conservatives at the same time.
The quote above, for example, is by Ivan Shatov, who was torn between his revolutionary ideals and inner moral conflicts. He meant that real change begins with self-awareness and moral transformation. Compare that to Nikolai Stavrogin, the charismatic and morally conflicted character. He engages in acts that are morally repugnant and shocking, and could not care less, or at least wants to seem like he does not. His nihilism seems to be a result of his inability to otherwise find meaning or redemption.
Demons is a highly complex and thought-provoking novel and quite frankly, in this novel, Dostoevsky is at his most terrifying. More than Crime and Punishment in my view. A masterful exploration of the darkness that can consume the human soul.
Notes from Underground, 1864
I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea— Dostoevsky, Notes from Underground
At some 120 pages, this is a shorter entry in the list, but one of the most powerful. In this piece, Dostoevsky goes deep into the exploration of the human mind, with its contradictions. It is a monologue by a nameless character. There is reason and irrationality. Struggle for meaning and authenticity, as you can see from the quote above, cynicism. Isolation and self-destructive behavior.
Notes from Underground is a powerful critique of rationalism and is the work that launched existentialist literature, serving as an inspiration for Kafka, Camus, Sartre, and many others. Notes from Underground leaves a strong impression — it is a psychological exploration that triggers reflection on our own struggles and existential dilemmas, engages the reader philosophically, particularly on the topics of free will and morality, it has an interesting narrative style. What I found impressive was how Dostoevsky created an unlikeable character which we gradually develop empathy for, forcing us to appreciate the complexity of being a human.
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, 1877
I will not and cannot believe that evil is the normal condition of mankind — Dostoevsky, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man
This is a short story, but there is a lot packed into it. It describes how one man decides to commit suicide after despairing about humanity and the world. He falls asleep and is transported to another world where he finds a perfect society of pure and innocent beings. I don’t want to spoil the story if you have not read it, but let’s just say this is a story of moral redemption, the transformation that the main character goes through. The dream prompts him to reevaluate his views, resulting in a renewed sense of purpose. I would put the Dream of a Ridiculous Man in my top 10 of best short stories ever written.
And here you are. Let me add that yes, Crime and Punishment is a masterpiece. But to truly appreciate Dostoevsky, one needs to venture beyond his most famous work and dig into the entirety of his literary legacy.
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