There’s nothing quite like delving into the works of Dostoyevsky when you feel that the optimism and cheer in life are perhaps a bit overrated. His writing has the power to dispel that sunny facade like a huge rain cloud on a beautiful summer's day. However, it's hard to deny that his words resonate deeply, laying bare the reality of the inner barren soul. In the sunshine, everything may look beautiful, but that's not always its true manifestation.

Practically every story in this collection is a masterpiece in its own right. It kicks off with "White Nights", a love story that features Dostoyevsky's trademark themes of loneliness and the redemptive power of love and kindness. One of his greatest skills as a writer is his remarkable ability to chronicle the entire depth and breadth of human nature. Take, for example, the pathetic, alcoholic petty thief Yemelyan in "The Honest Thief", who, at his core, still has the capacity to show remorse. In "The Peasant Marey", a convict recalls an incident from his youth - an unforgettable act of kindness by a farmer - that lingers with him even in jail. And in "The Christmas Tree and a Wedding", we're reminded of man's propensity towards greed as Mastakovich overhears the considerable net worth of a 16-year-old girl and sets out to seduce her with the intention of marrying her, coldly calculating his personal windfall from the dowry.

Then there are the final three stories in the collection, each offering us a fascinating insight into the kind of mind that exists on the precipice - our beloved existentialists. "Notes from the Underground" can sometimes feel like a conversation with oneself, as we see Dostoyevsky the master psychologist at work in creating the protagonist, a man filled with such self-loathing and low self-esteem that he's incapable of experiencing basic human emotions. "A Gentle Creature" has the most somber tone of all, with the main character on the edge, desperately fighting his own personal demons that stand in the way of genuine love. And finally, "Dreams of a Ridiculous Man" is the most deeply stirring and thought-provoking of all. The dream that comes to the narrator on the verge of suicide gives him a new will to live. He encounters a utopian world of inherent goodness, but, true to Dostoyevsky's style, there's a cruel twist as this world becomes corrupted when people are taught to lie.

In the end, the Ridiculous Man wakes up from his dream, having discovered the truth and with a newfound will to live. He realizes that there's a simple solution to the world's ills - preaching love, especially love of thy neighbor. So, it seems that the existentialist can indeed believe in a happy ever after!

As I amble towards Brothers Karamazov, it becomes increasingly evident that Dostoyevsky is truly in his element when it comes to creating unusual male protagonists and exploring nihilist world views. His works are a testament to his profound understanding of the human psyche and the complex moral and ethical dilemmas that individuals face. I find myself captivated by his writing, yet at the same time, I wish I spoke Russian. It seems that there is so much more depth and nuance that I might be missing by reading his works in translation. Nevertheless, I continue to be drawn to his stories, eager to uncover the hidden meanings and messages that he has to offer. Brothers Karamazov, in particular, promises to be a fascinating exploration of family, faith, and the human condition. I can't wait to see where this literary journey takes me.

BOOK REVIEW – THE BEST SHORT STORIES OF FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY
PART 1

In the introduction to his translation of ‘The Best Short Stories of Fyodor Dostoevsky’, David Magarshack astutely observes that it is within Dostoevsky’s smaller works that we encounter the highest manifestation of his creative prowess and the profundity of his thought. The collection of stories in this book encompasses –

White Nights
The Honest Thief
The Christmas Tree and a Wedding
The Peasant Marey
Notes from the Underground
A Gentle Creature
The Dream of A Ridiculous Man.

My acquaintance with Dostoevsky thus far had been confined to his three major novels – Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, The Idiot, and the shorter novellas The Possessed and Notes from the Underground (included above in the short stories).

These stories are so distinct yet so interconnected that the full force of Dostoevsky’s thought processes, so elaborately presented in his more renowned longer novels, is here brought to the fore with such impact that I felt that to do justice to this compilation of the best short stories, it would be essential to review each story individually. As such, I decided to undertake this task over a series of posts on this blog.

WHITE NIGHTS – A sentimental love story – From the memoirs of a dreamer

And was it his destined part
Only one moment in his life
To be close to your heart ….. – Ivan Turgenev

White Nights is a tale that unfolds over four nights, centering around a lonely man (the narrator) and his unrequited love for a young woman he befriends one night as she awaits the return of her lover for a reunion. This is a seemingly simple story, and in fact, it served as the underlying theme for the Hindi Film ‘Saawariya’ by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. However, Dostoevsky’s story delves deep into the psyche of the lonely man – a man who has secluded himself from human relationships and appears more at ease with the inanimate objects surrounding him; a man who has withdrawn into a cocoon of self-pity and self-deprecation. Like most of Dostoevsky’s novels, the story is narrated in the first person by a nameless narrator –

“When I woke up in the morning I felt strangely depressed, a feeling I could not shake for the better part of the day. All of a sudden it seemed to me as though I, the solitary one, had been forsaken by the whole world, and the whole world would have nothing to do with me.”

He finds solace in walking the streets of St. Petersburg at night. During the day, although he was never one to interact with others, he used to form emotional connections with the faces he encountered and felt discomfort when they were absent or he came across new faces. At night, he feels both alone and content, surrounded always by the familiar things he knows, the houses along the streets. They seem to communicate with him. He remarks –

“The houses too are familiar to me. When I walk along the street, each of them seems to run before me, gazing at me out of all its windows and practically saying to me, “Good morning, sir! How are you? I’m very well, thank you. They are going to add another storey to me in May”; or, how do you do, sir? I’m going to be repaired tomorrow”. And so on. He claims that some of them are his great favorites and good friends.

White Nights is to a large extent regarded as autobiographical, reflecting a young Dostoevsky’s personal impressions during his own nocturnal wanderings in Petersburg.

As they share their stories, the protagonist discovers himself falling in love with the young woman Nastenka. A lonely man at last finds that there is someone real who has awakened this sense of being wanted, for all the while he has been trapped within his self-imposed shell of solitude. His feelings are crystal clear when he states – “I know you’ll hardly believe me, but I’ve never spoken to any woman, never! Never known one either! I only dream that someday I shall meet someone at last. Oh, if only you knew how many times I’ve fallen in love like that!”

While Nastenka does develop feelings for him, she never openly acknowledges that she loves him. At the end, on the fourth night, when the young man she had been in love with and was waiting for finally appears, she departs with him after giving our protagonist a letter in which she states that she will always love him as a dear friend.

The narrator concludes by saying “Good Lord, only a moment of bliss? Isn’t such a moment sufficient for the whole of a man’s life?”

But perhaps the most poignant passage in the story, and one that reveals the angst of existence and from which I can surmise that the foundation of the whole of Dostoevsky’s philosophy and a precursor to Existentialism lies, is when he tells Nastenska –

“And you ask yourself - where are your dreams? And you shake your head and murmur; how quickly time flies! And you ask yourself again – what have you done with your time, where have you buried the best years of your life? Have you lived your life or not? Look, you say to yourself, look how everything in the world is growing cold. Some more year will pass, and they will be followed by cheerless solitude, and then will come tottering old age, with its crutch, and after it despair desperation. Your fantastic world will fade away, your dreams will wilt and die, scattering like yellow leaves from the trees. Oh, Nastenka, what can be more heartbreaking than to be left alone, all alone, and have nothing, absolutely nothing, because all you’ve lost was nothing, nothing but a silly round zero, nothing but an empty dream!”

"I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea." This simple yet profound statement reflects a certain attitude towards life. It implies that despite the chaos and turmoil that may exist in the outside world, there are still some things that are dear and essential to us. Tea, in this context, could symbolize a source of comfort, a moment of tranquility, or a small pleasure that helps us endure the hardships of life. It shows that even when faced with difficulties, we can find solace in the simple things and hold onto the things that bring us joy. It reminds us to not let the chaos of the world overshadow the beauty and goodness that still exists within it. So, let us all take a moment to enjoy our "tea" and find strength and peace in the midst of the storm.

I'm embarking on a journey to reread Dostoyevsky's entire body of work from the very beginning. It's an exciting endeavor as I've not delved deeply into his shorter pieces before, which are relatively less known.

Academics often go to great lengths to categorize and periodize Dostoyevsky's work. While there are valid reasons for this, as his pre-imprisonment works do have a distinct flavor, exploring his often eccentric "juvenalia" brings its own unique thrill.

In this volume, I revisited the remarkable "White Nights," one of his finest early works. It's the kind of sentimental and melancholy story that might be scoffed at today. Additionally, I read two shorter works, "An Honest Thief" and "A Christmas Tree and a Wedding." Both offer poignant insights into the frailty and insidiousness of human nature. What becomes clear is that, compared to his later masterpieces, these shorter works may have some shortcomings. However, when juxtaposed with the timid offerings of contemporary fiction, the simple yet powerful endings of "White Nights" and "A Wedding" are truly breathtaking.

Regarding the translation, Magershack's work is adequate. He had a penchant for Britishizing or lower-class-izing the dialogue. His introduction, especially the parts about Dostoyevsky's supposed "reactionary" shift in the 1860s, seems rather silly if one is well-versed in the relevant scholarship.

As soon as I finished Tsypkin's Summer in Baden-Baden, an irresistible urge welled up within me to (re-)read Dostoevsky.

Then, I recalled that I had purchased this particular edition of his stories. The sole reason for this was that it encompassed a couple of works that were not part of the Pevear & Volokhonsky edition which I had previously read. With this in mind, I promptly decided to dive right into it.

I have already reviewed the stories individually, so I shall not discuss them here once more. However, there is one point of criticism. This edition is titled The Best Short Stories of and includes Notes from Underground. But this work is far from being a story, let alone a short one. A more appropriate designation would be novella or short novel.

Perhaps the Modern Library preferred this small inaccuracy to the vagueness of naming the collection The Best Short Works of. Or maybe that title would have necessitated the addition of more works. Who can say for sure? Nevertheless, they did include commentaries by André Gide and Stefan Zweig, which were most definitely worth reading. Overall, this is - and I am inclined to say of course - a great collection.

RIP underground man. You would’ve loved Reddit.

Reddit is a vast online community where people from all walks of life come together to share their thoughts, experiences, and interests. It's a place full of diverse voices and opinions.

The underground man, with his unique perspective and rebellious spirit, would have found a home on Reddit. He could have engaged in passionate discussions, shared his underground discoveries, and connected with like-minded individuals.

On Reddit, he would have been able to express himself freely, without the constraints of mainstream society. He could have explored various subreddits dedicated to topics that intrigued him, such as art, music, literature, and philosophy.

The underground man's presence on Reddit would have added a new dimension to the platform. His ideas and stories would have inspired others and sparked interesting conversations.

Although he is no longer with us, his spirit lives on in the memories of those who knew him. And perhaps, in some way, he is still influencing the online world through the impact he would have had on Reddit.

RIP underground man. You are missed.

I liked this anthology more than some of Dostoevsky's other works, but my intense dislike for The Brothers Karamzov means that this statement doesn't carry a great deal of weight. In general, I had a mixed experience with the stories. Some I really liked, while others I found extremely boring, which is why I gave it a medium review.

White Nights: 3/5 I had high hopes for this story, as the quotes from it were what initially attracted me to the anthology. However, in my opinion, it failed to live up to the hype.

The Honest Thief: 2/5 I didn't have any strong opinions about this one. It was just kind of there.

The Christmas Tree and a Wedding: 3/5 This was an interesting social satire. I think I might have appreciated it more if I had read it in school.

The Peasant Marey: 3/5 Eh, again, I didn't have any real feelings towards this story.

Notes from the Underground: 3.5/5 Reading this felt like having to listen to someone who was really high rant about society for an hour. It was kind of fun, but it went on for a bit too long.

A Gentle Creature: 3/5 I don't remember much about this story, so I guess I didn't have any strong emotions towards it.

The Dream of a Ridiculous Man: 4/5 This was like Notes from the Underground, but more interesting and not as long. I quite enjoyed it.

Quotes I liked:

White Nights:

“At twenty-six—yes, I’m twenty-six—I’ve never really known anyone. So how can you expect me to speak well, cleverly, and to the point?”

“I don’t love him because I can only love what is generous, what is understanding, what is honourable, for I’m like that myself, and he’s not worthy of me.”

“May your sky be always clear, may your dear smile be always bright and happy, and may you be for ever blessed for that moment of bliss and happiness which you gave to another lonely and grateful heart!”

“Good Lord, only a moment of bliss? Isn’t such a moment sufficient for the whole of a man’s life?”

Notes from the Underground:

“Still, I firmly believe that not only too much consciousness, but any sort of consciousness is a disease. I insist upon that.”

“All right, I am a talker, a harmless, boring talker as we all are. But what can I do if the direct and sole purpose of every intelligent man is to talk, that is to say, to waste his time deliberately?”

“The romantic is always intelligent. I only meant to observe that even if there were fools among our romantics, they need not be taken into account for the simple reason that they had transformed themselves into Germans”

“a man only remembers his misfortunes. He never remembers his good fortune. If he took account of his good fortune as well, he’d have realised that there’s a lot of that too for his share.”

The Dream of a Ridiculous Man:

“The consciousness of life is higher than life, the knowledge of happiness is higher than happiness”—that is what we have to fight against! And I shall, I shall fight against it! If only we all wanted it, everything could be arranged immediately.”

The stories in the book often commence at a very slow pace.

Sometimes, it demands a certain amount of effort to persevere, as the narrator's meandering can become tiresome and perplexing.

The historical backdrop can also be difficult to fathom.

However, from the middle to the end, they have the potential to become extremely captivating and fascinating.

The meandering can descend to such a profound level that I frequently found myself pondering which era Dostoevsky had penned it in.

Many of the ideas presented can effortlessly align with the contemporary era.

Another aspect that seized my attention was the candor and authenticity with which the characters confront their flaws and social inadequacies.

Dostoevsky appears to have possessed a remarkable comprehension of the human psyche, as well as an overall interest in science.

I didn't always hold a favorable opinion of the book, but when I did, it truly left a lasting impression on me.

Perhaps a second reading would afford me a better understanding, yet the prospect of having to endure the dull portions once more doesn't appeal to me.

The tone is often gloomy, which can make one feel a bit downcast. However, within this gloom, there is a cutting ridiculousness or irony that I find extremely interesting.

It's as if there is a hidden layer of absurdity beneath the surface of the sadness. This combination creates a unique and captivating atmosphere.

The ridiculousness can sometimes make us laugh out loud, even in the midst of the gloom. It's a strange yet wonderful juxtaposition.

The irony, on the other hand, adds a touch of depth and complexity. It makes us think about the contradictions and absurdities of life.

Overall, this combination of a gloomy tone with cutting ridiculousness and irony makes for a very engaging and thought-provoking experience.

DNF @ p.130...

I'm truly disappointed. As much as I have cherished Dostoevsky's novels, his'short stories' have fallen short of my expectations. They simply aren't short enough. I'm a huge fan of O. Henry. That man truly understands the art of the short story. But Dostoevsky's works in this genre are a different kettle of fish.

Someday, I might manage to finish this book. After all, I do have a great deal of respect for him as a writer. However, this particular copy belongs to the library where I will no longer be working after this week. So, I have no choice but to return it. And to be honest, getting through it has been a real struggle.

Therefore, I'm calling it quits for now. Maybe if I can lay my hands on another copy in the future and my To-Read list isn't still an overwhelming 680+ books long, I'll give it another go and try to finish it. But for now, I'm done.

Psychology was a nascent field during Dostoevsky's life.

He was clearly intrigued by human nature and driven to explore the inner workings of the mind. His works are filled with complex characters whose thoughts and emotions are laid bare.

I found his reflections densely self-absorbed and delusional at times. However, it is important to note that we humans often delude ourselves, assuming others see the world as we do.

Dostoevsky's exploration of the human psyche was ahead of its time. His works continue to be studied and analyzed today, providing valuable insights into the human condition.

Despite his flaws, Dostoevsky was a brilliant writer who had a profound understanding of human nature. His works will continue to be relevant for generations to come.