So, this is my first time reading Dostoyevsky, and honestly, I don't know what to expect. Someone recently suggested that I should try this particular book before moving on to the longer stories. If I end up liking it, what other works of his would you suggest me to put my hands on next?
by bukhari011
4 Comments
White Nights is actually a perfect starting point – it’s way more digestible than his monster novels but still has all that classic Dostoyevsky psychological depth
If you dig it, Notes from Underground is probably the next logical step, then maybe Crime and Punishment when you’re ready to commit to something chunkier
I don’t exactly recommend starting with it. While it has its charm in certain moments, it’s not a strong work of his. There is not a better starting point than Crime and Punishment imo. If you still want something really short, maybe go with The Dream of A Ridiculous Man.
OP, that is a GREAT starting point. afterwards, I recommend continuing to ease into Dostoevsky’s classics with **Notes from Underground.** Happy reading!
imo the shorter dostoevsky works are inferior to his longer novels, which is unfortunate as those are quite the undertaking. i really disliked white nights and notes from underground, but the idiot and the brother karamazov were completely lifechanging for me. ivan’s nightmare from tbk has been published as a standalone short story, i would recommend as a starting point instead