I'm not very good at reading short stories. I always end up thinking that almost everything should be a novel so that I could delve into every detail to my heart's content. :)

White Nights

This is a sweet story with a good ending. However, while reading, I felt Dostoyevsky digressed too much. I'm not sure how the main character developed in this story, unless it was that he opened up to someone and made a friend. I liked the ending because Nastenka went back to the original guy. I think if she'd stayed with the main character, it would have been too simple an ending.

The Honest Thief

This is more of an anecdote than anything else. The beginning could be cut without much trouble, and although it's interesting, it doesn't really stay in your mind except through the pathos of the drunk.

The Christmas Tree and the Wedding

I would have liked to see more of the events leading up to the 'wedding,' but the way this story is now, it preserves that haunting quality. Mastakovich seems like a truly evil character.

The Peasant Marey

This story probably has some hidden meaning that I can't quite grasp. Either that or I don't have enough historical context to really understand the point. The main character basically has a revelation that the peasant isn't unfeeling, as the child had expected.

Notes from Underground

Part I, the philosophical treatise on science and man and twice-two-is-four, is thoroughly confusing. I had to bring out my notebook and start taking notes to try and figure out what the point of the toothache was. I came to the conclusion that it's a test to see who can get through Part I to read Part II.

Part II is the actual story of the main character, who thinks he's superior to everyone and hates people in general because of the way they behave or because they don't pay enough attention to him. I don't understand the main character. He seems constantly drunk, first hating the whole world, then wishing they would be friends with him, then cursing them for not being friends with him and vowing revenge. He wants to put others down and humiliate them, but at the same time realizes what a jerk he's being and wants to make amends. In short, he's human, but exaggerated so that all the worst qualities come out. At the end, he sort of makes up for it by not going after Lisa, but then he goes off on his philosophical tangents again.

A Gentle Creature

This is the story of a 41-year-old pawnbroker who marries his 16-year-old client and decides to control her so that she'll be the kind of wife he wants. She becomes depressed, at one point tries to kill him, he dissolves the marriage by buying her a separate bed, she gets sick, and they stop talking. At the end of the winter, she commits suicide. The story is told from the husband's point of view, as he tries to figure out what led her to this decision. In my opinion, it was his controlling nature. It's an interesting look at being in love and wanting to control the person you're with.

The Dream of a Ridiculous Man

This is a lovely little story with a great imagination. I loved reading the description of the places and about how the world deteriorated. It's nice to think that this is what the world might have been like.

White Nights: 4/5

This story was penned before his incarceration. It is a love narrative that is enjoyable yet not overly remarkable. It has its charm but doesn't necessarily stand out in a crowd of love stories.

The Honest Thief: 3/5

It was a good read, but again, not something truly great. At times, it felt a bit sluggish and lacking in momentum. However, it still had its redeeming qualities and kept the reader engaged to a certain extent.

The Christmas Tree and the Wedding: 4/5

I have a particular fondness for this one. It functions as a sort of social satire, offering a critical look at certain aspects of society. The story is engaging and thought-provoking, making it a worthwhile read.

The Peasant Marey: 3/5

I must admit that I don't fully understand this one. Perhaps there isn't a great deal to understand, or maybe I need to read it again to fully grasp its meaning. Nevertheless, it still holds some interest and leaves room for interpretation.

Notes From the Underground: 5/5

This is one of his most renowned works. It is truly brilliant, although I feel that I need to re-read Part 1 to fully appreciate its depth. The thoughts presented in this work are fascinating and offer valuable insights into the human condition. My favorite quote from this work is "Rank they mistook for brains."

A Gentle Creature: 3/5

This story was at times rather boring, but it also had its moments of interest. It didn't quite capture my attention throughout, but it wasn't a complete waste of time either.

The Dream of a Ridiculous Man: 5/5

This is my absolute favorite among all of these works. It is simply brilliant. I actually liked it even more than Notes From the Underground. It explores strong themes of Christianity and Existentialism, making it a profound and deeply moving read. My favorite quote from this work is "Truth could only be attained through suffering."

You see, you talk as if you were reading from a book...

Anyone who complains that Dostoyevsky needs an editor is not only wrong but also misses the very essence that makes him Dostoyevsky. My initial encounter with him occurred over three years ago, which seems much longer than it actually is, through Notes From Underground. I was instantly captivated by his portrayal of life. The underground man feels truly human in a way that few can capture. He is clumsy, awkward, self-contradictory, consumed by anxiety, often despicable yet also more comical than I recall. It is this authenticity in his depiction of humanity that has compelled me to return to his works. Indeed, he writes in the same style as the underground man and the narrator of White Nights read: his characters feel truly novelistic, filled with old stories and well-developed worldviews, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Dostoyevsky understands that this artifice enables a deeper and more genuine exploration of what it means to be human.

This collection vividly demonstrates this, presenting a diverse range of protagonists with various relationships to their own humanity. A Gentle Creature stands out for its darkly macabre way in which the narrator misinterprets his entire situation, almost reading as an expansion of Browning's "My Last Duchess." These stories also effectively show how Dostoyevsky draws his inspiration; many of them are derived from a single image, a single display of pathos that seized his imagination and inspired an entire narrative to be constructed around it. This, of course, leads up to the Dream of a Ridiculous Man (which takes place on my birthday!). While Dostoyevsky's novels are usually painstakingly detailed, the Dream functions simultaneously as a prophetic vision of what humanity could be, what it is, and what we must not allow it to become. Here, the bleeding heart of Dostoyevsky's worlds is painted clearly, revealing that even in the soul-crushing despair of humanity, he perceives love, beauty, and the potential for mercy.

Bir çok orta uzunlukta öykünün böyle bir kitapta toplanması güzel olmuş.

It is really wonderful that a lot of medium-length stories are collected in such a book.

These stories, with their diverse themes and unique writing styles, can bring readers a rich reading experience.

Readers can immerse themselves in different fictional worlds, feel the emotions and thoughts of the characters, and gain inspiration and enlightenment from them.

The collection of these stories also reflects the author's profound literary accomplishment and rich imagination.

Each story is like a precious gem, shining with its own unique charm.

This book is not only a collection of stories, but also a spiritual feast for readers.

It allows readers to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of literature.

Whether you are a literature lover or just looking for a good book to read, this collection of medium-length stories is definitely worth your reading.

A collection of short and not so short stories from every stage of the great Russian author's writing career is presented here. In the early stage, there are stories like the beautiful "White Nights." Set against the backdrop of St. Petersburg's bright summer nights, it features a desperate romance. Then there's the unique Christmas story in the collection, which offers a tender look at childhood and its innocence. Moving on to the mid-stage, we have the very popular "Notes from the Underground." This story is filled with the angry social criticism of a troubled antisocial man. And of course, there are stories from his literary maturity, such as "A Gentle Creature." It tells the story of a relationship with a strange young woman, symbolizing the unsolved mystery of womanhood, even for the author.

All these stories are special and very good. Each one has its own interest, presenting us with the writer's evolution. Still, I will maintain my preference for his larger works. However, I will definitely revisit this collection as it is something that I am not indifferent to.

"Notes From the Underground" stands out as the obvious highlight here. It is the only one in this collection that I had read before, albeit in a different translation.

Aside from that, I discovered two other stories that were truly great. "A Gentle Creature" made a very strong impression. Dostoevsky is sometimes criticized for his writing being unhinged, for indulging in the chaotic spill and circularity of the mind, which is in sharp contrast to Tolstoy's beautiful prose that lines up like poetry. However, I view this as a characteristic of his writing, not a flaw. Like the best of Dostoevsky's works, "A Gentle Creature" features the messy and disorganized thoughts of an individual under extreme mental duress. The narrator reveals the truth through his very denial of it.

"The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" is the other story that really impressed me. It has a similar energy, with the narrator's suicidal urges being redirected and his purpose transformed by a dream.

The first few stories were just fairly good, more in the realm of 3-star works. The translator didn't do himself any favors in the introduction with his hyperbolic pronouncements on Dostoevsky. I do believe that Dostoevsky is absolutely one of the best, but his pretense that Dostoevsky was unrivaled in all of literature seemed so narrow-minded and silly that it left a bad taste in my mouth.

“... the more I learned, the more conscious did I become of the fact that I was ridiculous. So that for me my years of hard work at the university seem in the end to have existed for the sole purpose of demonstrating and proving to me, the more deeply engrossed I became in my studies, that I was an utterly absurd person.”

This is a profound and thought-provoking statement from Dostoevsky. It reflects the complex and often self-critical nature of his characters. The collection of short stories by Dostoevsky is truly remarkable. Before, my only encounter with his short stories was through the animated adaptation of The Dream of a Ridiculous Man. However, reading the prose version was equally satisfying.

White Nights, Notes from the Underground, and The Dream of a Ridiculous Man are undoubtedly some of my all-time favorite Dostoevsky stories. They explore themes such as human nature, morality, and the search for meaning in life with great depth and intensity. On the other hand, The Honest Thief, The Christmas Tree and the Wedding, The Peasant Marey, and A Gentle Creature also offer unique perspectives and engaging narratives, ranging from really good to good in quality.

Dostoevsky's short stories are a treasure trove of literary excellence, inviting readers to delve into the depths of the human psyche and explore the mysteries of life.

I truly believe that English translations often fail to do justice to Dostoyevsky's remarkable writing.

His works are so profound and complex, filled with deep psychological insights and rich philosophical themes.

However, when they are translated into English, something seems to get lost in the process.

The beauty and nuance of his language, the power of his descriptions, and the intensity of his characters' emotions often don't come through as clearly as they do in the original Russian.

This particular translation, in my opinion, is no exception.

It may convey the basic plot and some of the main ideas, but it fails to capture the essence of Dostoyevsky's genius.

I would rate the stories themselves a solid 5 stars, but the translation only deserves 1 star.

It's a shame that so many English-speaking readers may miss out on the full glory of Dostoyevsky's works due to subpar translations.

Man, I really despise this kind of old style language. To be honest, the poetic parts can be endured to some extent, but the crap of everyday old style conversation language really annoys me.

For example, words like "indutiably" and phrases like "I shan't say another word" are usually found somewhere in the dialogue. They should create an updated hip hop version with awesome slang. Now, that's an idea!

This stuff is also difficult to quote because Dostoevsky doesn't write in easily digestible quotes. Instead, his points and ideas span across pages, adding more depth to his writing and a meticulous illustration of an idea, most notably in "Notes from the underground" and "Dreams of a ridiculous man". It takes many pages to illustrate one idea rather than being summed up in a quote or a few sentences. I appreciate this aspect.

"White Nights" and "Dreams of a Ridiculous Man" are excellent short stories. It seems that most of his stories end with a BANG, having intense climaxes at the end. The other ones were pretty good too, but not as good as these two. What the hell do I know anyway?

Quotes:

(White Nights) FIVE STAR SHORT STORY

"For, after all, you do grow up, you do outgrow your ideals, which turn to dust and ashes, which are shattered into fragments; and if you have no other life, you just have to build one up out of these fragments. And meanwhile your soul is all the time craving and longing for something else. And in vain does the dreamer rummage about in his old dreams, raking them over as though they were a heap of cinders, looking in these cinders for some spark, however tiny, to fan it into a flame so as to warm his chilled blood by it and revive in it all that he held so dear before, all that touched his heart, that made his blood course through his veins, that drew tears from his eyes, and that so splendidly deceived him....."

(Notes from Notes from the underground) FOUR STARS.....pretty funny at some parts ex: (planning bumping in that dude to get revenge after two years and ends up falling down)....

Quotes:

"Question- who is he? Answer- A Loafer"

"And, finally, gentleman, it is much better to do nothing at all!"

"'Now is the time to throw a bottle at them,' I thought, picked up the bottle and- poured myself out another glass."

"Why, just try, just give us, for instance, more independence, untie the hands of any one of us, widen the sphere of our activities, relax discipline, and we- yes, I assure you- we should immediately be begging for discipline to be reimposed upon us."

(A Gentle Creature)

Quotes:

"Why, then, did I accept death? Well, let me ask you in turn: of what use was life to me after a gun had been leveled against me by a human being I adored?"

(The Dream of A Ridiculous Man) FIVE STARS (sums up the development of civilization in just a few pages!!)

"the more I learned, the more conscious did I become of the fact that I was ridiculous. So that for me my years of hard work at the university seem in the end to have existed for the sole purpose of demonstrating and proving to me, the more deeply engrossed I became in my studies, that I was an utterly absurd person."

"Oh judge for yourselves: I have been concealing it all the time, but now I will tell you the whole truth. The fact is, I- corrupted them all!"

"Science will give us wisdom. Wisdom will reveal to us the laws. And the knowledge of the laws of happiness is higher than happiness."

"The main thing is to love your neighbor as yourself- that is the main thing, and that is everything, for nothing else matters."

Ugh. Fyodor. So full of feelings!

Fyodor is a person who seems to be constantly overcome by a whirlwind of emotions. His heart is like a deep well, filled to the brim with a vast array of feelings. Whether it's joy that makes his eyes sparkle like stars, or sadness that weighs him down like a heavy burden, he experiences it all with intensity. He is not one to hide his emotions; instead, he wears them on his sleeve for the world to see. His passionate nature often leads him to act impulsively, following his heart without hesitation. Sometimes, his feelings can be overwhelming, causing him to lose control and lash out. But despite all this, Fyodor's emotions are what make him who he is. They give his life color and depth, and make him a truly unique individual.

Writing that presents both sides of an issue is a rarity. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that it's rarely done with the kind of authenticity that encourages self-reflection rather than simply dictating to the reader.

Typically, stories are presented in a straightforward manner, expecting the reader to accept them at face value. However, in these short stories, Dostoevsky focuses on the anti-hero, those characters who are mired in wickedness and vanity. But he doesn't simply discard them.

Instead, he gives them depth, complexity, and most significantly, contradiction. Through these conflicted voices, he provides a perspective that compels us to view things from multiple viewpoints. We see how goodness and corruption can exist side by side, how truth is never absolute, and how each reader must reach their own conclusion.

Dostoevsky never hands us the answers on a silver platter. He has faith in our ability to grapple with the ambiguity. What he offers is not nihilism, but rather the unfiltered essence of life itself - the pain, the tension, and the fleeting moments of grace.

And perhaps that's the key: you have to experience despair in order to appreciate a blessing when it comes. That's what makes his work so timelessly significant.

A wonderful compilation that features a great mix of Dostoevsky's finest short stories. However, I have a bit of an issue with the inclusion of Notes from the Underground. In my view, it doesn't quite fit the bill as a short story as it is rather long. While one can choose to skip it, its presence prevents me from awarding this book a full five stars.

Among the stories, the first one, White Nights, and the last one, The Dreams of a Ridiculous Man, stand out as the best in my opinion. The Dreams of a Ridiculous Man is not only my favorite short story from Dostoevsky but also an absolute gem that I'm truly glad to have discovered. It offers profound insights and a unique exploration of the human psyche, making it a must-read for any lover of literature.