Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Double

Poor Folk / Poor People

The Landlady

White Nights

Uncle's Dream

The Insulted and Injured / Humiliated and Insulted

The House of the Dead / Notes from a Dead House

Winter Notes on Summer Impressions

Notes from the Underground

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Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, an impoverished and sickly former student, resides in a dilapidated apartment in St. Petersburg. Contemplating a dreadful act, he visits an elderly pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna, to pawn a watch and plot his crime. At a local tavern, he meets Marmeladov, a man who has abandoned his job for a drinking spree, and learns about Marmeladov's ill wife and daughter Sonya, forced into prostitution due to their destitute situation. The following day, after receiving news of his sister's impending marriage and the family's movement to St. Petersburg, Raskolnikov overhears talk of the pawnbroker's death being beneficial for society, and learns she'll be alone the next evening. Raskolnikov formulates a plan, and ends up murdering the pawnbroker and her sister.

Raskolnikov enters a state of paranoia the day after committing the murders, carefully checking his clothes for blood traces and burying the stolen goods. Despite his growing suspicions, a visit to the police station reveals he's not yet a suspect, but his odd behaviour soon sparks their interest. Disturbing dreams plague him, further worsening his mental state, and he almost confesses his crimes several times, but stops short at the last minute. During this time, he encounters various characters like his sister's fiancé Luzhin, his friend Razumikhin, and Svidrigailov, a former employer of his sister who harbors a creepy attraction towards her.

As the story progresses, the guilt-ridden Raskolnikov experiences a series of confrontations and conflicts, increasingly haunted by his crime and its implications. His actions and erratic behaviour raise suspicions, and he eventually confesses his murder to Sonya Marmeladov, who implores him to surrender to the authorities. This period is marked by further turbulence, with Katerina Ivanovna's death, Svidrigailov's suicide, and Raskolnikov's eventual confession to the police. The narrative concludes with Raskolnikov in a Siberian prison, reflecting on his deeds and his journey towards redemption, guided by the unwavering support of Sonya.

Crime and Punishment

The Gambler

A noble-born young man with light hair, in his late twenties, returns to St. Petersburg after spending four years in a Swiss clinic due to his "idiotic" behavior and epileptic condition. He becomes acquainted with his distant relative, Madame Yepanchin, wife of the highly regarded General Yepanchin, and their three daughters. During his visit, he meets Gavril Ardalyonovich Ivolgin, an ambitious assistant to the general who, despite being in love with the youngest Yepanchin daughter, is attempting to wed Anastassya Filippovna Barashkov, a stunningly beautiful woman with a tainted past. 

The young man rents a room in the Ivolgin residence and witnesses Anastassya's attempt to insult Ganya's family, which he successfully prevents. A party is later held where she is to announce whether she will marry Ganya or not, but the noble man, having recently discovered he is due to receive a large inheritance, offers to marry her himself. Despite his generous proposal, she chooses to leave with Rogozhin, a passionate man deeply in love with her. The young man spends the next half year following her as she bounces between him and Rogozhin, in the process depleting his inheritance by paying off numerous fraudulent demands from supposed relatives and creditors. 

After a near-fatal encounter with Rogozhin, the prince retreats to the nearby town of Pavlovsk, renting rooms from a rogue functionary named Lebedev, where most of the story's characters spend their summer. There, he falls in love with Aglaya Yepanchin, who reciprocates his feelings, but due to his erratic behavior and disease, their relationship is not well received. Despite this, Aglaya arranges a meeting between herself, the prince, and Anastassya, forcing him to choose between them. The prince hesitates, causing Aglaya to sever any hopes of an engagement. Anastassya decides to run away with Rogozhin, who ends up killing her. The prince follows them, discovering the murder and staying with Rogozhin until the authorities arrive. As a result, Rogozhin is sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor, while the prince returns to the Swiss clinic, having lost his sanity. Aglaya, on the other hand, elopes with a deceitful Polish count who soon abandons her.

The Idiot

The Eternal Husband

Demons / The Devils / The Possessed

The Adolescent

The Dream of a Ridiculous Man

The Brothers Karamazov

Writer's Diary, Book 1

A Writer's Diary, Volume One, 1873-1876

Writer's Diary, Book 2

A Writer's Diary, Volume Two, 1877-1881

Letters and Reminiscences

Dostoevsky

Selected Letters of Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Complete Letters, 1860-1867

Dostoevsky's Occasional Writings

Fyodor Dostoevsky Books in Order (23 Book Series)

The Double

Poor Folk / Poor People

The Landlady

White Nights

Uncle's Dream

The Insulted and Injured / Humiliated and Insulted

The House of the Dead / Notes from a Dead House

Winter Notes on Summer Impressions

Notes from the Underground

Crime and Punishment

The Gambler

The Idiot

The Eternal Husband

Demons / The Devils / The Possessed

The Adolescent

The Dream of a Ridiculous Man

The Brothers Karamazov

A Writer's Diary, Volume One, 1873-1876

Writer's Diary, Book 1

A Writer's Diary, Volume Two, 1877-1881

Writer's Diary, Book 2

Dostoevsky

Letters and Reminiscences

Selected Letters of Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Complete Letters, 1860-1867

Dostoevsky's Occasional Writings

What To Read Next

Fyodor Dostoevsky Books in Order (23 Book Series)

The Double

Poor Folk / Poor People

The Landlady

White Nights

Uncle's Dream

The Insulted and Injured / Humiliated and Insulted

The House of the Dead / Notes from a Dead House

Winter Notes on Summer Impressions

Notes from the Underground

Crime and Punishment

The Gambler

The Idiot

The Eternal Husband

Demons / The Devils / The Possessed

The Adolescent

The Dream of a Ridiculous Man

The Brothers Karamazov

A Writer's Diary, Volume One, 1873-1876

Writer's Diary, Book 1

A Writer's Diary, Volume Two, 1877-1881

Writer's Diary, Book 2

Dostoevsky

Letters and Reminiscences

Selected Letters of Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Complete Letters, 1860-1867

Dostoevsky's Occasional Writings

What To Read Next

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