Questions About The Idiot

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Answered Questions (17)

I didn't like Crime and Punishment. Should I read this?

Austin Bruce This book is very different from Crime and Punishment if only for reason that the protagonist is unique and different in character from other Dostoyev…moreThis book is very different from Crime and Punishment if only for reason that the protagonist is unique and different in character from other Dostoyevsky works.

But the style of dialogue, confusion of entering and exiting characters, each referred to by a few names each, is nothing new, and if you didn't like that in C&P, I kind of doubt you will enjoy it in The Idiot.

I do feel sorry for you though.(less)

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When does the book start to get really interesting?

Pat Turman Depends on what you mean by interesting. If by interesting you mean a conventional narrative, then never. There's not much of a plot here. From what I…moreDepends on what you mean by interesting. If by interesting you mean a conventional narrative, then never. There's not much of a plot here. From what I gather, Dostoevsky's goal was to use the idiot character (the prince) to hold a mirror up to Russian society in the 19th century. So much--if not most--of the references, allegories, symbols represented by various characters & situations will be lost on readers of this century and who are not Russian. But I still enjoyed it, even if I didn't get Dostoevsky's underlying purpose a lot of the time. I enjoyed it mainly because I love Dostoevsky's sensibility. His blend of Christian optimism on the one hand combined with nihilistic fatalism on the other speaks to me in a way no other writer ever has and in a way that feels very contemporary and relevant still. The light and the dark...(less)

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How do you guys stay focused with all those Russian names lol?

Baron Lovecraft I read it with a family tree right next to me. Seriously, I couldn't understand otherwise.…moreI read it with a family tree right next to me. Seriously, I couldn't understand otherwise.(less)

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There are so many different translations. I have read good comments about P&V but also about MacDuff. I think I'm going to try the Kindle version of the MacDuff translation. What about you? Which translated version do you prefer?

Lucy Day Werts .
Yes, there are a lot of translations! Depending on exactly how you count, there are between 8 and 11.

P&V and McDuff are both on the "literal" end of …more.
Yes, there are a lot of translations! Depending on exactly how you count, there are between 8 and 11.

P&V and McDuff are both on the "literal" end of the "literal/accessible" spectrum.

The 1992 Myers Oxford Classics translation is more balanced.
The 2010 Avsey Alma Classics translation is more accessible.
The 2003 Modern Library revised Garnett translation is an updated version of a flawed but classic edition.

I've read and enjoyed Garnett before but I think I'd choose Myers.

For a list of ALL the translations, with cover images, ISBNs, pagecounts, extracts for comparison, and links to relevant articles, visit We Love Translations: World Literature in English:

» What's the best translation of The Idiot?

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Is this easier to read than Anna Karenina ? Just finished AK and it would be nice to know what I’m getting into before starting this novel and how they compare (language, structure, pace)