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The Eternal Husband and Other Stories
The Eternal Husband and Other Stories brings together five of Dostoevsky’s short masterpieces rendered into English by two of the most celebrated Dostoevsky translators of our time. Filled with many of the themes and concerns central to his great novels, these short works display the full range of Dostoevsky’s genius. The centerpiece of this collection, the short novel The Eternal Husband, describes the almost surreal meeting of a cuckolded widower and his dead wife’s lover. Dostoevsky’s dark brilliance and satiric vision infuse the other four tales with all-too-human characters, including a government official who shows up uninvited at an underling’s wedding to prove his humanity; a self-deceiving narrator who struggles futilely to understand his wife’s suicide; and a hack writer who attends a funeral and ends up talking with the dead.
The Eternal Husband and Other Stories is sterling Dostoevsky—a collection of emotional power and uncompromising insight into the human condition.
The Eternal Husband and Other Stories is sterling Dostoevsky—a collection of emotional power and uncompromising insight into the human condition.
349 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1890
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About the author
Fyodor Dostoevsky
3,131 books71.1k followers
Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский
(Russian)
Works, such as the novels Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880), of Russian writer Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevski combine religious mysticism with profound psychological insight.
Very influential writings of Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin included Problems of Dostoyevsky's Works (1929),
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky composed short stories, essays, and journals. His literature explores humans in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century and engages with a variety of philosophies and themes. People most acclaimed his Demons(1872) .
Many literary critics rate him among the greatest authors of world literature and consider multiple books written by him to be highly influential masterpieces. They consider his Notes from Underground of the first existentialist literature. He is also well regarded as a philosopher and theologian.
(Russian: Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский) (see also Fiodor Dostoïevski)
Works, such as the novels Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880), of Russian writer Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevski combine religious mysticism with profound psychological insight.
Very influential writings of Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin included Problems of Dostoyevsky's Works (1929),
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky composed short stories, essays, and journals. His literature explores humans in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century and engages with a variety of philosophies and themes. People most acclaimed his Demons(1872) .
Many literary critics rate him among the greatest authors of world literature and consider multiple books written by him to be highly influential masterpieces. They consider his Notes from Underground of the first existentialist literature. He is also well regarded as a philosopher and theologian.
(Russian: Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский) (see also Fiodor Dostoïevski)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
May 26, 2020
4.5*
Oh, Dostoyevsky. If ever I ascent to power, I’ll make him mandatory reading. No worries, just joking.
This collection, wonderfully translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, features two novellas, The Eternal Husband and The Meek One , as well as three short stories, A Nasty Anecdote , Bobok: Notes of a certain person , and The Dream of a Ridiculous Man: a fantastic story. The novellas are very strong, especially The Eternal Husband which tells the story of a man who encounters the husband of a deceased former lover. It’s a very good introduction to some of the themes that dominate Dostoesvky’s work: the problem of guilt, the consequences of one’s mistakes, and how to atone for them. The dynamic between the ex-lover and the husband is so compellingly written. It’s a love-hate relationship with erotic undertones and a hint of psychological thrill. It’s everything you d’want in a relationship between two characters.
The Meek One concerns yet another unhappy marriage which culminates in the suicide of the young wife. Told from the point of view of the husband, it’s a story that makes the reader ache for the characters. Dostoevsky is an expert at this kind of manipulation. One just wants to fold the characters in a blanket and assure them that everything is going to be alright. The tragedy of this story is that it perverts the trope of lack-of-communication-creating-misunderstandings. There’s a point where the husband does try – and even succeeds – to communicate with his wife, to explain his feelings, his reasons for his sternness towards her, but it is too late by then.
The short stories are a little less successful with the exception of Bobok: Notes of a Certain Person in which a living man visits a cemetery only to get a glimpse of how people live after death. It was funny, satirical and just slightly creepy. Although my least favourite, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is a premature attempt at stream of consciousness which together with Bobok feels very modern. One can really understand the immense influence of Dostoevsky’s work as many of the techniques he employs were used and overused by subsequent writers. If you haven’t read Dostoesvky you really should, for crying out loud, this doesn’t even need saying.
Oh, Dostoyevsky. If ever I ascent to power, I’ll make him mandatory reading. No worries, just joking.
This collection, wonderfully translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, features two novellas, The Eternal Husband and The Meek One , as well as three short stories, A Nasty Anecdote , Bobok: Notes of a certain person , and The Dream of a Ridiculous Man: a fantastic story. The novellas are very strong, especially The Eternal Husband which tells the story of a man who encounters the husband of a deceased former lover. It’s a very good introduction to some of the themes that dominate Dostoesvky’s work: the problem of guilt, the consequences of one’s mistakes, and how to atone for them. The dynamic between the ex-lover and the husband is so compellingly written. It’s a love-hate relationship with erotic undertones and a hint of psychological thrill. It’s everything you d’want in a relationship between two characters.
The Meek One concerns yet another unhappy marriage which culminates in the suicide of the young wife. Told from the point of view of the husband, it’s a story that makes the reader ache for the characters. Dostoevsky is an expert at this kind of manipulation. One just wants to fold the characters in a blanket and assure them that everything is going to be alright. The tragedy of this story is that it perverts the trope of lack-of-communication-creating-misunderstandings. There’s a point where the husband does try – and even succeeds – to communicate with his wife, to explain his feelings, his reasons for his sternness towards her, but it is too late by then.
The short stories are a little less successful with the exception of Bobok: Notes of a Certain Person in which a living man visits a cemetery only to get a glimpse of how people live after death. It was funny, satirical and just slightly creepy. Although my least favourite, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is a premature attempt at stream of consciousness which together with Bobok feels very modern. One can really understand the immense influence of Dostoevsky’s work as many of the techniques he employs were used and overused by subsequent writers. If you haven’t read Dostoesvky you really should, for crying out loud, this doesn’t even need saying.
November 15, 2022
“The most monstrous monster is the monster with noble feelings”
Dostoevsky,my man,I love you!, I just do,I can’t help it!!!
I loved all the other books I have read this month,but then I read Dostoevsky's work and it’s a different feeling altogether.
The rich landowner Velchaninov is worrying over a legal case concerning an estate. He's a hypochondriac,nervous type who is haunted by memories from his past.
The past is a collection of shameful misdeeds he is unable to recall with clarity .So he tells himself not to worry,but fails to do so.To make matters worse he sees a strange man with a crepe hat several times.He thinks the man is following him to spite him for some incomprehensible reason.He then dismisses the idea believing himself to be delirious.But then the man shows up at his doorstep,he is real and Velchaninov recognises the man to be “the husband(Pavlovich) of his ex-lover(Natalya)” and lo and behold the drama unfolds!.
The relationship dynamics between these two men is strange ,extraordinary and absurd ,only Dostoevsky can showcase psychologically complicated relationships in such a masterful way!!
Both men are equally twisted but in different ways. Velchaninov is a charmer,a ladies man with no purpose in life. Pavlovich,on the other hand cannot survive without a wife (his purpose) and hence he is ” the eternal husband”.The theme of the eternal husband is brilliantly explored.I never knew it could be so interesting!!.
The psychological duel between these two men is one of the best I have read in terms of mind games between characters.I don’t have to elaborate here,it’s Dostoevsky for God’s sake!!.The writing is top-notch, level with his greatest works, just pure genius.The plot structure and pacing are impeccable!.It’s gripping and unputdownable!!.There are some great plot twists here(never saw them coming!),never a dull moment.Such a powerful little novella!!. Some of the scenes here will be my all time favourites. Love the reference to “Notes from the underground”.
This totally belongs with his greatest,I truly believe that!.
The feeling of reading a Dostoevsky's work for the first time is just beyond words,the man blows me away every time!!.I only have 2 more left,Netochka Nezvanova and Adolescent.After that I shall spend the rest of my life re-reading this genius’s work!!
Dostoevsky,my man,I love you!, I just do,I can’t help it!!!
I loved all the other books I have read this month,but then I read Dostoevsky's work and it’s a different feeling altogether.
The rich landowner Velchaninov is worrying over a legal case concerning an estate. He's a hypochondriac,nervous type who is haunted by memories from his past.
The past is a collection of shameful misdeeds he is unable to recall with clarity .So he tells himself not to worry,but fails to do so.To make matters worse he sees a strange man with a crepe hat several times.He thinks the man is following him to spite him for some incomprehensible reason.He then dismisses the idea believing himself to be delirious.But then the man shows up at his doorstep,he is real and Velchaninov recognises the man to be “the husband(Pavlovich) of his ex-lover(Natalya)” and lo and behold the drama unfolds!.
The relationship dynamics between these two men is strange ,extraordinary and absurd ,only Dostoevsky can showcase psychologically complicated relationships in such a masterful way!!
Both men are equally twisted but in different ways. Velchaninov is a charmer,a ladies man with no purpose in life. Pavlovich,on the other hand cannot survive without a wife (his purpose) and hence he is ” the eternal husband”.The theme of the eternal husband is brilliantly explored.I never knew it could be so interesting!!.
The psychological duel between these two men is one of the best I have read in terms of mind games between characters.I don’t have to elaborate here,it’s Dostoevsky for God’s sake!!.The writing is top-notch, level with his greatest works, just pure genius.The plot structure and pacing are impeccable!.It’s gripping and unputdownable!!.There are some great plot twists here(never saw them coming!),never a dull moment.Such a powerful little novella!!. Some of the scenes here will be my all time favourites. Love the reference to “Notes from the underground”.
This totally belongs with his greatest,I truly believe that!.
The feeling of reading a Dostoevsky's work for the first time is just beyond words,the man blows me away every time!!.I only have 2 more left,Netochka Nezvanova and Adolescent.After that I shall spend the rest of my life re-reading this genius’s work!!
August 18, 2021
1. A NASTY STORY (1862)
Funny and tragic! How stingy the protagonist is!
Setelah minum terlalu banyak dengan dua sesama pegawai negeri, Ivan Ilyich Pralinsky menguraikan filosofinya yang didasarkan pada kebaikan kepada mereka yang kurang mampu. Saat ia mau pulang, kereta kudanya serta kusirnya pergi. Maka ia marah dan berjalan kaki untuk pulang. Di perjalanan ia mendapati suatu pesta di rumah warga. Ia dapat informasi dari polisi bahwa itu perayaan pernikahan salah satu bawahan Ivan Ilyich - yaitu Pseldonymov. Pseldonymov itu muda, gajinya rendah, miskin dan pasrah orangnya. Menikah pun ia dijodohkan oleh ayah calon istri. Ayahnya yang sungguh kasar dan pelit.
Ivan Ilyich memutuskan untuk menerapkan filosofinya dan mengunjungi pesta itu. Sontak membuat tuan rumah dan tamunya kaget dan kecewa - tak terkecuali Pseldonymov. Serangkaian peristiwa semakin tidak pantas dan skandal terungkap. Pasangan yang baru menikah itu terlampau sedih. Ivan pingsan karena banyak minum hingga pegawai negeri itu ditidurkan di satu-satunya ranjang yang tersedia untuk pasangan yang baru menikah itu. Belum lagi Pseldonymov dan ibunya harus memikirkan biaya untuk merawat Ivan Ilyich yang pelit itu.
2. THE ETERNAL HUSBAND (1870)
Simple but complex!
Ini kisah sederhana tapi kompleks penjabarannya hingga membuat saya termenung-menung dan kagum atas kepiawaian dan ketelatenan Dostoyevsky dalam menuliskannya. Adalah berawal dari seorang pria pemilik tanah bernama Velchaninov. Menderita hipokondria, sedang menghadapi persidangan tentang tanah. Mendadak ia menerima kunjungan dari Pavel Pavlovich Trusotsky - seorang kenalan lama yang baru saja menjadi duda. Velchaninov teringat dulu telah berselingkuh dengan istri Trusotsky, Natalia. Dia lalu menyadari bahwa dia adalah ayah biologis dari Liza, putri Trusotsky yang berusia delapan tahun. Velchaninov, yang tidak ingin Liza dibesarkan oleh pecandu alkohol macam Trusotsky, membawa bocah itu ke keluarga asuh. Tapi Liza murung, sakit, dan meninggal di sana.
Trusotsky lalu ingin menikahi gadis muda Nadia dan mengajak Velchaninov untuk mengunjungi kediamannya dan membelikannya sebuah gelang. Trusotsky diejek oleh saudari-saudari Nadia dan dikurung selama bermain di kediaman gadis itu. Diam-diam Nadia memberikan gelang itu kembali kepada Velchaninov, memintanya untuk mengembalikannya lagi kepada Trusotsky dan mengatakan kepadanya bahwa dia tidak ingin menikah dengan Trutsotsky. Nadia lalu bertunangan dengan Alexander Lobov, seorang bocah lelaki berusia sembilan belas tahun.
Trusotsky lalu menghabiskan malam di kamar Velchaninov dan mencoba membunuhnya dengan pisau silet. Velchaninov berhasil membela diri, melukai tangan kirinya.
Beberapa waktu kemudian, setelah Velchaninov memenangkan persidangannya soal tanah, keduanya bertemu lagi di stasiun kereta api. Trusotsky menikah lagi, tetapi seorang perwira militer muda bepergian dengan dia dan istrinya. Istri baru Trusotsky mengundang Velchaninov untuk mengunjungi mereka, tetapi Trusotsky memintanya untuk mengabaikan undangan ini.
-A.S.
Funny and tragic! How stingy the protagonist is!
Setelah minum terlalu banyak dengan dua sesama pegawai negeri, Ivan Ilyich Pralinsky menguraikan filosofinya yang didasarkan pada kebaikan kepada mereka yang kurang mampu. Saat ia mau pulang, kereta kudanya serta kusirnya pergi. Maka ia marah dan berjalan kaki untuk pulang. Di perjalanan ia mendapati suatu pesta di rumah warga. Ia dapat informasi dari polisi bahwa itu perayaan pernikahan salah satu bawahan Ivan Ilyich - yaitu Pseldonymov. Pseldonymov itu muda, gajinya rendah, miskin dan pasrah orangnya. Menikah pun ia dijodohkan oleh ayah calon istri. Ayahnya yang sungguh kasar dan pelit.
Ivan Ilyich memutuskan untuk menerapkan filosofinya dan mengunjungi pesta itu. Sontak membuat tuan rumah dan tamunya kaget dan kecewa - tak terkecuali Pseldonymov. Serangkaian peristiwa semakin tidak pantas dan skandal terungkap. Pasangan yang baru menikah itu terlampau sedih. Ivan pingsan karena banyak minum hingga pegawai negeri itu ditidurkan di satu-satunya ranjang yang tersedia untuk pasangan yang baru menikah itu. Belum lagi Pseldonymov dan ibunya harus memikirkan biaya untuk merawat Ivan Ilyich yang pelit itu.
2. THE ETERNAL HUSBAND (1870)
Simple but complex!
Ini kisah sederhana tapi kompleks penjabarannya hingga membuat saya termenung-menung dan kagum atas kepiawaian dan ketelatenan Dostoyevsky dalam menuliskannya. Adalah berawal dari seorang pria pemilik tanah bernama Velchaninov. Menderita hipokondria, sedang menghadapi persidangan tentang tanah. Mendadak ia menerima kunjungan dari Pavel Pavlovich Trusotsky - seorang kenalan lama yang baru saja menjadi duda. Velchaninov teringat dulu telah berselingkuh dengan istri Trusotsky, Natalia. Dia lalu menyadari bahwa dia adalah ayah biologis dari Liza, putri Trusotsky yang berusia delapan tahun. Velchaninov, yang tidak ingin Liza dibesarkan oleh pecandu alkohol macam Trusotsky, membawa bocah itu ke keluarga asuh. Tapi Liza murung, sakit, dan meninggal di sana.
Trusotsky lalu ingin menikahi gadis muda Nadia dan mengajak Velchaninov untuk mengunjungi kediamannya dan membelikannya sebuah gelang. Trusotsky diejek oleh saudari-saudari Nadia dan dikurung selama bermain di kediaman gadis itu. Diam-diam Nadia memberikan gelang itu kembali kepada Velchaninov, memintanya untuk mengembalikannya lagi kepada Trusotsky dan mengatakan kepadanya bahwa dia tidak ingin menikah dengan Trutsotsky. Nadia lalu bertunangan dengan Alexander Lobov, seorang bocah lelaki berusia sembilan belas tahun.
Trusotsky lalu menghabiskan malam di kamar Velchaninov dan mencoba membunuhnya dengan pisau silet. Velchaninov berhasil membela diri, melukai tangan kirinya.
Beberapa waktu kemudian, setelah Velchaninov memenangkan persidangannya soal tanah, keduanya bertemu lagi di stasiun kereta api. Trusotsky menikah lagi, tetapi seorang perwira militer muda bepergian dengan dia dan istrinya. Istri baru Trusotsky mengundang Velchaninov untuk mengunjungi mereka, tetapi Trusotsky memintanya untuk mengabaikan undangan ini.
-A.S.
October 20, 2020
"The most monstrous monster is the monster with noble feelings."
This is a fine collection of Dosty's stories united perhaps by the common theme of 'good intentions gone awry', or better 'holy idiocy'. Of the stories collected here the best are "A Nasty Anecdote" (drunk boss shows up at employee's wedding to illustrate his 'humanity') and "The Eternal Husband" (years after the affair, guy meets the husband of the now-dead wife he slept with). These are pure Dosty and some of his best short works, alternately funny, bewildering, and dark. The other three stories "Bobok", "The Meek One", "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" are good, too, but only "Meek" would I recommend to the non-completist since it has shades of the "saved prostitute" from Notes from Underground and serves as a conduit through D-bag's literary gravitation.
This is a fine collection of Dosty's stories united perhaps by the common theme of 'good intentions gone awry', or better 'holy idiocy'. Of the stories collected here the best are "A Nasty Anecdote" (drunk boss shows up at employee's wedding to illustrate his 'humanity') and "The Eternal Husband" (years after the affair, guy meets the husband of the now-dead wife he slept with). These are pure Dosty and some of his best short works, alternately funny, bewildering, and dark. The other three stories "Bobok", "The Meek One", "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" are good, too, but only "Meek" would I recommend to the non-completist since it has shades of the "saved prostitute" from Notes from Underground and serves as a conduit through D-bag's literary gravitation.
February 20, 2019
One need not read extensively into Dostoevsky writings to understand that with every work he never fails to address his social climate.
The book is a collection of five different stories, which include: A Nasty Anecdote, The Eternal Husband, Bobok, The Meek One and The Dream Of A Ridiculous Man. Amongst the five, The Eternal Husband being my favorite amongst them.
In The Eternal Husband, there abound varying things that were dear to me but lay beyond my ability to express them (maybe on multiple reads I would be able to, or not!).
The Eternal Husband digs into the recesses of two unlikely characters, inextricably linked in a toxic knot. One an hypochondriac plagued with insomnia and a lawsuit, the other a capricious drunkard. Formerly, acquaintances at a time, now reconnected by a shared tragedy that would define their character.
The unique chemistry displayed by its central characters was vivid, tangible, it was as though I could feel them in a manner one feels an old friend after an aging absence. I read the story at a sitting. This sharply points to Dostoevsky's mastery of the intricacies and subtleties inherent in human dialogue.
I also observed in the story, deeply among other things; an aching sensation of loss, how we like to think we have control, the limits of forgiveness, how some hurtful things linger eternally, the mocking "green eyed monster."
Like the other stories, Bobok strikes as a satire. Here, we come to a writer in a society where art as it should be is not given its voice, inverted and distorted. A 'necessary' visit to a cemetery by the writer, and with some mumbo jumbo we see the dead speak, and he hearing. If we could hear the dead speak, few of the best things they could say are in Bobok.
Nasty Anecdote has a lot of drinking. The story shows the relationship between humaneness and heroism. Of all, Nasty Anecdote to me, was the least profound.
The Dreams Of A Ridiculous Man shows a critical look into why Man is where he is and what he needs to do to get back on his feet. With evident existentialism, the idea that Dostoevsky addresses his social climate is observed.
Above all, looking across these stories, I see from Dostoevsky, an ability of the most refined quality to analyse the intricacies present in a given situation, to dissect and reach viscerally, the innermost regions which characterise the external outlook of that situation and still keep its essence. The Meek One confirms this assertion.
The book is a collection of five different stories, which include: A Nasty Anecdote, The Eternal Husband, Bobok, The Meek One and The Dream Of A Ridiculous Man. Amongst the five, The Eternal Husband being my favorite amongst them.
In The Eternal Husband, there abound varying things that were dear to me but lay beyond my ability to express them (maybe on multiple reads I would be able to, or not!).
The Eternal Husband digs into the recesses of two unlikely characters, inextricably linked in a toxic knot. One an hypochondriac plagued with insomnia and a lawsuit, the other a capricious drunkard. Formerly, acquaintances at a time, now reconnected by a shared tragedy that would define their character.
The unique chemistry displayed by its central characters was vivid, tangible, it was as though I could feel them in a manner one feels an old friend after an aging absence. I read the story at a sitting. This sharply points to Dostoevsky's mastery of the intricacies and subtleties inherent in human dialogue.
I also observed in the story, deeply among other things; an aching sensation of loss, how we like to think we have control, the limits of forgiveness, how some hurtful things linger eternally, the mocking "green eyed monster."
Like the other stories, Bobok strikes as a satire. Here, we come to a writer in a society where art as it should be is not given its voice, inverted and distorted. A 'necessary' visit to a cemetery by the writer, and with some mumbo jumbo we see the dead speak, and he hearing. If we could hear the dead speak, few of the best things they could say are in Bobok.
Nasty Anecdote has a lot of drinking. The story shows the relationship between humaneness and heroism. Of all, Nasty Anecdote to me, was the least profound.
The Dreams Of A Ridiculous Man shows a critical look into why Man is where he is and what he needs to do to get back on his feet. With evident existentialism, the idea that Dostoevsky addresses his social climate is observed.
Above all, looking across these stories, I see from Dostoevsky, an ability of the most refined quality to analyse the intricacies present in a given situation, to dissect and reach viscerally, the innermost regions which characterise the external outlook of that situation and still keep its essence. The Meek One confirms this assertion.
September 29, 2024
4.5
It would be really easy to misinterpret this one. There's so much word play, and so reading a translated version, the precision is necessary. I read between two versions and ended up rereading long stretches in the better translation (this edition) because it brings the intentionally confusing threads together with clarity.
Ideas of masculinity, identity, self-esteem, reputation, and one's own understanding of themselves. Such a strange read. If that I was more familiar with biblical stories that I could catch the allusions, was it judas who kissed jesus on both cheeks before betraying him?
Calling on these ideas, Dostoevsky explores obsession, hero worship, resentment, revenge, and the plight of the scorned man seeking justice and redemption. He uses scandal, so well to reveal the true nature of people and society, the way that people in this novella interact is so interesting because these characters are comically opposites.
If anyone takes anything from this, always go for the Pevear-Volokhonsky translation.
It would be really easy to misinterpret this one. There's so much word play, and so reading a translated version, the precision is necessary. I read between two versions and ended up rereading long stretches in the better translation (this edition) because it brings the intentionally confusing threads together with clarity.
Ideas of masculinity, identity, self-esteem, reputation, and one's own understanding of themselves. Such a strange read. If that I was more familiar with biblical stories that I could catch the allusions, was it judas who kissed jesus on both cheeks before betraying him?
Calling on these ideas, Dostoevsky explores obsession, hero worship, resentment, revenge, and the plight of the scorned man seeking justice and redemption. He uses scandal, so well to reveal the true nature of people and society, the way that people in this novella interact is so interesting because these characters are comically opposites.
If anyone takes anything from this, always go for the Pevear-Volokhonsky translation.
July 31, 2008
The short stories in this book range from very dark to quite hilarious. "A Nasty Anecdote" describes a high-status man who tries to socialize with the "little people" to show them just how humane he is, but he fails and what Dostoevsky presents is an extremely awkward situation that almost hurts to read, yet is still very funny (kind of like the UK The Office, which is painfully and hilariously awkward).
"The Eternal Husband" is an amazing story. I was blown away. It is very intense; there are so many dark themes in this story. I didn't know what to think most of the time because I was so stunned and enthralled by the events. I highly recommend it. (But if you're happy and don't want to ruin your mood, don't read it.)
"Bobok" is a short story about a man who falls asleep in a cemetery and listens to dead people talking with each other. It's pretty amusing, which is a relief after the grim but gripping "Eternal Husband." "The Meek One" is also an excellent story that begins with the announcement of a woman's suicide, followed by her husband's emotional account of the events leading up to her death (this story is my second favorite in this book, with The Eternal Husband being the first).
Finally, the book ends with "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man," describing how a man who was about to commit suicide was changed by a dream he had. The story lost me about halfway through, but I think it's because I read it immediately after reading "The Meek One" and was worn out by the intensity of the previous story (but that's because I get way too involved in these tales). I recommend breaks between each of these stories so you can appreciate them fully without your mood and thoughts following one (they are all pretty gripping!) interfering your enjoyment of the next.
"The Eternal Husband" is an amazing story. I was blown away. It is very intense; there are so many dark themes in this story. I didn't know what to think most of the time because I was so stunned and enthralled by the events. I highly recommend it. (But if you're happy and don't want to ruin your mood, don't read it.)
"Bobok" is a short story about a man who falls asleep in a cemetery and listens to dead people talking with each other. It's pretty amusing, which is a relief after the grim but gripping "Eternal Husband." "The Meek One" is also an excellent story that begins with the announcement of a woman's suicide, followed by her husband's emotional account of the events leading up to her death (this story is my second favorite in this book, with The Eternal Husband being the first).
Finally, the book ends with "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man," describing how a man who was about to commit suicide was changed by a dream he had. The story lost me about halfway through, but I think it's because I read it immediately after reading "The Meek One" and was worn out by the intensity of the previous story (but that's because I get way too involved in these tales). I recommend breaks between each of these stories so you can appreciate them fully without your mood and thoughts following one (they are all pretty gripping!) interfering your enjoyment of the next.
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September 27, 2016This was my first effort at Dostoyevsky's shortest-length works, and it is a series of stories ranging from the rather dull to the sublime. The central novella, The Eternal Husband, didn't hold that much appeal to me, but some of the others -- Bobok, The Meek One, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man -- are solid gold in that best, most absurd and angry and funny way that Russians write. Stories that breathe flaming fumes.
March 25, 2009
The title story is a novella. That is the part I read. "The Eternal Husband" is the model for Saul Bellow's novel, THE VICTIM. Having read and liked THE VICTIM, I decided to read Dostoevsky's novella. I read it in the translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky. (That's the Bantam edition with the Magritte-like painting on the cover, with the man's back to us.) Dostoevsky's masterpiece is not only the model for Bellow's book, it is the blueprint. Bellow's genius was to introduce the theme of antisemitism into Dostoevsky's story of a Christian sinner and his Christian nemesis.
Even what I took to be an inserted set-piece in THE VICTIM reflects what amounts to a set-piece in THE ETERNAL HUSBAND. While Dostoevsky's scene advances the plot and the Bellow scene doesn't, both have a discussion of how to be human while producing art -- singing, in Dostoevsky's book and acting in Bellow's -- and both discussions are in scenes in both books showing the protagonist suddenly enjoying himself in lively company. Saul Bellow matched Dostoevsky almost point-for-point in THE VICTIM
Even what I took to be an inserted set-piece in THE VICTIM reflects what amounts to a set-piece in THE ETERNAL HUSBAND. While Dostoevsky's scene advances the plot and the Bellow scene doesn't, both have a discussion of how to be human while producing art -- singing, in Dostoevsky's book and acting in Bellow's -- and both discussions are in scenes in both books showing the protagonist suddenly enjoying himself in lively company. Saul Bellow matched Dostoevsky almost point-for-point in THE VICTIM
October 29, 2023
Five stories in all.
'The Eternal Husband,' my favorite one.
Philosophical, Satirical, Psychological.
Who better to write on these three pillars?
'The Eternal Husband,' my favorite one.
Philosophical, Satirical, Psychological.
Who better to write on these three pillars?
Want to read
February 25, 2024Contains the stories:
A Nasty Anecdote -
The Eternal Husband -
Bobok -
The Meek One - 4/5 - a husband explains the decaying marriage that led his young wife to suicide
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man -
A Nasty Anecdote -
The Eternal Husband -
Bobok -
The Meek One - 4/5 - a husband explains the decaying marriage that led his young wife to suicide
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man -
May 5, 2024
A collection of 5 short stories/novellas written by Dostoevsky:
A Nasty Anecdote - 5/5 absolutely loved this one, my favourite of the bunch, hilarity ensues when a functionary crashes his underlings wedding
The Eternal Husband - 4/5 the sad story of a cuckolded husband and his further humiliation in front the man that his wife slept with, a fair bit of tragedy but some comedy too
Bobok - 3/5 a very short story of a man hearing recently dead people arguing among themselves in a cemetery
The Meek One - 4/5 a husband recounts the sad tale of his relationship with the wife that had recently committed suicide. This is the darkest and most tragic of the stories
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man - 3/5 a man wants to kill himself but dreams of an ideal world where everyone is happy and loves each other
A Nasty Anecdote - 5/5 absolutely loved this one, my favourite of the bunch, hilarity ensues when a functionary crashes his underlings wedding
The Eternal Husband - 4/5 the sad story of a cuckolded husband and his further humiliation in front the man that his wife slept with, a fair bit of tragedy but some comedy too
Bobok - 3/5 a very short story of a man hearing recently dead people arguing among themselves in a cemetery
The Meek One - 4/5 a husband recounts the sad tale of his relationship with the wife that had recently committed suicide. This is the darkest and most tragic of the stories
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man - 3/5 a man wants to kill himself but dreams of an ideal world where everyone is happy and loves each other
March 5, 2010
A Nasty Anecdote, also known as An Unpleasant Predicament along with every other possible translation of the words, is not as pristine of plot as D's previous stories. The paralleled figures, Pralinsky and Pseldonymov, seem to be developed fully, but many of the detailed characters like Mlekopitaev remain offstage. The main idea behind the conflict of the story is brilliant, and apropos to the subject matter of the day. Alexander II had just freed Russia from serfdom, and the intelligentsia were discussing how to relate with their new free fellow citizens. In the story, Pralinsky argues for his superficial thoughts of "humaneness," which he acts upon, and by cutting the cords of class distinction too early, gets himself and everyone around him into trouble. His type is a dreaming everyman of extremes, with lofty ideals and (simultaneously) despicable egoism and pretension. Comic quality wins out in the end, though Pralinsky "doesn't hold out."
Note on this Bantam Classic copy of the PV translation: An important line is missing from the top of the final page 66 of A Nasty Anecdote. If I didn't have another translation available I would've been lost.
The Eternal Husband as a novella epitomizes Dostoevsky's versatility. Here, he takes a break from political, moral and societal causes, focusing on marriage and fidelity. A man, Velchaninov, lives in guilt and must come to terms with the consequences of his youth. He eventually comes around to earning the hero position in the work, while balancing his karma through various injustices instigated by the cuckolded husband of his past lover. This husband, Pavel Pavlovich, is a character with no nobility, who appears to learn nothing during the course of the plot. Only Velchaninov sees the horror of their actions on Liza and, to some degree, everyone else in the plot. Ironically, the paralleled characters use guilt on each other, trading it back and forth in every scene. There are very few women in the cast, amplifying the misguided decisions and responsibilities of the two men.
Bobok is a brief tale Dostoevsky published in the first season of his Diary of a Writer while he was editor of The Citizen. As an answer to criticism for his fantastic character types, Dostoevsky creates a gothic circus of absurd characters speaking from the grave. These "undead" happen to be upper class citizens with stereotypically vile and disgusting traits. (Their bodily decay can only be smelled by others, the more evil they are – the more they stink.) Much of the allegory here is obvious. The corpses prize their lascivious lifestyles and are not ashamed, as if the only change for them beyond the grave is the unfettering of social inhibitions. Perhaps Dostoevsky considered the new political movements of his day to be a sort of "death" to the upper class. If so, the voices he heard in the gradually-uncensored journals seemed to be the ugly, remorseless voices of the dead in graves. Further, if this allegory stands, the grave he was lying on (of the indignant yet equally repulsive General) represents The Citizen.
The Meek One (also translated A Gentle Creature) is a morose account of a man's response to his wife's suicide. After a simple author's intro (this story was published in his own journal A Writer's Diary), Dostoevsky uses first person narration to recount the events surrounding the marriage of a lonely pawnbroker and an impoverished orphan. Usually Dostoevsky's narrators look back on events with a calm understanding – as with Arkady in The Adolescent or Anton Lavrentevich in Demons – though their accounts are sometimes tarnished by their connection to other characters. In this story, Dostoevsky's narrator tortures his sweet wife with first a complete lack of emotional contact, then with his raving, desperate worship. By the end, the reader understands but the narrator still does not. This is a true denouement – a character doomed to deceive himself and repeat his blunders.
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is the most fantastical and yet most plausible of Dostoevsky's stories by virtue of the dream structure. A suicidal existentialist dreams that he dies and is delivered to a perfect world, then unintentionally corrupts it. When he awakes, his faith in life is restored, he preaches the truth of his dream and is ridiculed for it. The genius in Dostoevsky's delivery of the message is his preparation of the perfect narrator – the self-proclaimed "ridiculous man" and his nihilist renunciation of life. His anguish at bringing sin to the dream utopia redeems him, and he even bizarrely offers himself to be crucified by the natives. I feel that this brief parable of Dostoevsky's is his clearest secular argument against utopianism in general – whether Fourierism or Marxism. It's a convincing one, though his narrator remains an "underground" type, regardless of his reversed solution. The implication here is that the much-debated topic cannot stand outside of the Christ idea.
Note on this Bantam Classic copy of the PV translation: An important line is missing from the top of the final page 66 of A Nasty Anecdote. If I didn't have another translation available I would've been lost.
The Eternal Husband as a novella epitomizes Dostoevsky's versatility. Here, he takes a break from political, moral and societal causes, focusing on marriage and fidelity. A man, Velchaninov, lives in guilt and must come to terms with the consequences of his youth. He eventually comes around to earning the hero position in the work, while balancing his karma through various injustices instigated by the cuckolded husband of his past lover. This husband, Pavel Pavlovich, is a character with no nobility, who appears to learn nothing during the course of the plot. Only Velchaninov sees the horror of their actions on Liza and, to some degree, everyone else in the plot. Ironically, the paralleled characters use guilt on each other, trading it back and forth in every scene. There are very few women in the cast, amplifying the misguided decisions and responsibilities of the two men.
Bobok is a brief tale Dostoevsky published in the first season of his Diary of a Writer while he was editor of The Citizen. As an answer to criticism for his fantastic character types, Dostoevsky creates a gothic circus of absurd characters speaking from the grave. These "undead" happen to be upper class citizens with stereotypically vile and disgusting traits. (Their bodily decay can only be smelled by others, the more evil they are – the more they stink.) Much of the allegory here is obvious. The corpses prize their lascivious lifestyles and are not ashamed, as if the only change for them beyond the grave is the unfettering of social inhibitions. Perhaps Dostoevsky considered the new political movements of his day to be a sort of "death" to the upper class. If so, the voices he heard in the gradually-uncensored journals seemed to be the ugly, remorseless voices of the dead in graves. Further, if this allegory stands, the grave he was lying on (of the indignant yet equally repulsive General) represents The Citizen.
The Meek One (also translated A Gentle Creature) is a morose account of a man's response to his wife's suicide. After a simple author's intro (this story was published in his own journal A Writer's Diary), Dostoevsky uses first person narration to recount the events surrounding the marriage of a lonely pawnbroker and an impoverished orphan. Usually Dostoevsky's narrators look back on events with a calm understanding – as with Arkady in The Adolescent or Anton Lavrentevich in Demons – though their accounts are sometimes tarnished by their connection to other characters. In this story, Dostoevsky's narrator tortures his sweet wife with first a complete lack of emotional contact, then with his raving, desperate worship. By the end, the reader understands but the narrator still does not. This is a true denouement – a character doomed to deceive himself and repeat his blunders.
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is the most fantastical and yet most plausible of Dostoevsky's stories by virtue of the dream structure. A suicidal existentialist dreams that he dies and is delivered to a perfect world, then unintentionally corrupts it. When he awakes, his faith in life is restored, he preaches the truth of his dream and is ridiculed for it. The genius in Dostoevsky's delivery of the message is his preparation of the perfect narrator – the self-proclaimed "ridiculous man" and his nihilist renunciation of life. His anguish at bringing sin to the dream utopia redeems him, and he even bizarrely offers himself to be crucified by the natives. I feel that this brief parable of Dostoevsky's is his clearest secular argument against utopianism in general – whether Fourierism or Marxism. It's a convincing one, though his narrator remains an "underground" type, regardless of his reversed solution. The implication here is that the much-debated topic cannot stand outside of the Christ idea.
July 28, 2024
Love love love. Hadn’t read Dostoevsky in a minute, so it was lovely to pick him up again. Same as always: uncomfortable scenes, nonsensical motivations, and spiteful narrators.
January 22, 2023
"Flowed from the heart and penetrated hearts."
September 26, 2014
Unfortunately, I had read three of the stories in this five-story collection already. Fortunately, the two I hadn't read were the best of the lot. "Eternal Husband" is really long enough to be considered a short novel, but I imagine it's the length of modern novels that lead to it being packaged with other stories to thicken the book spine.
"Eternal Husband" infuriated me at times. I admit it - I picked the book up because I liked the title. I wanted more husband-ing, but there are very few actual moments of being a husband, as the book opens with a single man meeting a widower. Plot twist -- though it takes him a while to realize it, our single man narrator was once the lover of the dead wife. The widower is the titular "eternal husband" and this is one of those Russian novels that makes sense when you get to the end. "Ok, that's why we read all that!" Y'know?
"The Meek One" is, in contrast, about a husband. The husband of a recent suicide gives a long monologue while standing wake over his dead wife. He describes how they met and how he courted her and how he fell in love with her -- skipping entirely over the wedding as no female author would -- their relationship is strange, he is strange, he's half mad, and the monolog is fragmented by his grief and self-contradictions in a way that feels honest.
"Eternal Husband" infuriated me at times. I admit it - I picked the book up because I liked the title. I wanted more husband-ing, but there are very few actual moments of being a husband, as the book opens with a single man meeting a widower. Plot twist -- though it takes him a while to realize it, our single man narrator was once the lover of the dead wife. The widower is the titular "eternal husband" and this is one of those Russian novels that makes sense when you get to the end. "Ok, that's why we read all that!" Y'know?
"The Meek One" is, in contrast, about a husband. The husband of a recent suicide gives a long monologue while standing wake over his dead wife. He describes how they met and how he courted her and how he fell in love with her -- skipping entirely over the wedding as no female author would -- their relationship is strange, he is strange, he's half mad, and the monolog is fragmented by his grief and self-contradictions in a way that feels honest.
August 16, 2021
Masterpiece
There maybe some better writers in the history of the world than Dostoyevsky, but after reading the stories of the Eternal Husband one wouldn't think so. He is in a league by himself, never to be duplicated, and impossible to be copied. No one should complete their life without reading all of his works.
There maybe some better writers in the history of the world than Dostoyevsky, but after reading the stories of the Eternal Husband one wouldn't think so. He is in a league by himself, never to be duplicated, and impossible to be copied. No one should complete their life without reading all of his works.
May 5, 2023
tbh i didn’t understand a lot of this book.
April 8, 2025
You know, I quite enjoyed the mental stimulation Dostoyevsky gave me with his stories. Bobok! He he he! Unlocked something in my brain. Will def revisit these
September 5, 2025
I enjoyed three stories out of the five stories presented in this book:
1) A Nasty Anecdote: 4/5
2) The Eternal Husband: 4.5/5
3) The Meek One: 4/5
1) A Nasty Anecdote: 4/5
2) The Eternal Husband: 4.5/5
3) The Meek One: 4/5
May 4, 2025
Absolutely fantastic
April 10, 2022
This hodge-podge book of short stories was alright. I like Dostoyevsky a good deal, but I'm not going to praise him to the moon like another sheep if the works don't stand out to me. There were definitely some interesting stories here, but they didn't standout too much. And some were just eh.
"The Eternal Husband" was solid. I really liked the subtlety and the back and forth underlying the conversations between the two central characters.
I also really enjoyed "A Nasty Anecdote". It was really interesting to explore how something simple as a crowd not being receptive to your tone and comportment etc. can really cause them to reject everything you're saying and treat you like a nothing, even though the message be something really special, selfless, avante-guarde, and revolutionary. These two stories are precisely what I expected, and though they weren't fantastic, they were certainly good.
"Bobok" we just won't talk about. Suffice it to say: "What the hell was that?"
"The Meek One" was interesting enough, and still different enough. I like how in some of these stories Dostoyevsky doesn't rely on any crazy plot-twists and things of that nature. It just feels true and natural, and he shows how you don't need to be s extravagant in your writing to have a good story and tell it well. Yes, there is a suicide in this one, but he doesn't throw it in your face as much as another author would. He doesn't milk the emotion out of you and portray his story as the highest tragedy. He tells a true accounting of his story, and it reads nicely. That being said, again, nothing revolutionary here.
"The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" was definitely a nice lesson and a pretty good entry. I still wasn't blown away, but this type of story is certainly up my alley. Main character has a revelationa fter he realizes there's more to life, upon realizing he's drawn to feelings of moral responsibility and regret, which brings him to a more purposeful life, culminating in a revelatory paradisal dream he has of what man could be, if only everyone loved each other like themself, and banished vice. He becomes a preacher, and there's a really nice quote towards the end of the story as well, that we can end with.
"They tease me now that it was just a dream. But does it make any difference whether it was a dream or not, if this dream proclaimed the Truth to me? For if you once knew the truth and saw it, then you know that it is the truth and there is and can be no other, whether you're asleep or alive. So let it be a dream, let it be, but this life, which you extol so much, I wanted to extinguish by suicide, while my dream, my dream-- oh, it pro claimed to me a new, great, renewed, strong life!
3.5 stars
"The Eternal Husband" was solid. I really liked the subtlety and the back and forth underlying the conversations between the two central characters.
I also really enjoyed "A Nasty Anecdote". It was really interesting to explore how something simple as a crowd not being receptive to your tone and comportment etc. can really cause them to reject everything you're saying and treat you like a nothing, even though the message be something really special, selfless, avante-guarde, and revolutionary. These two stories are precisely what I expected, and though they weren't fantastic, they were certainly good.
"Bobok" we just won't talk about. Suffice it to say: "What the hell was that?"
"The Meek One" was interesting enough, and still different enough. I like how in some of these stories Dostoyevsky doesn't rely on any crazy plot-twists and things of that nature. It just feels true and natural, and he shows how you don't need to be s extravagant in your writing to have a good story and tell it well. Yes, there is a suicide in this one, but he doesn't throw it in your face as much as another author would. He doesn't milk the emotion out of you and portray his story as the highest tragedy. He tells a true accounting of his story, and it reads nicely. That being said, again, nothing revolutionary here.
"The Dream of a Ridiculous Man" was definitely a nice lesson and a pretty good entry. I still wasn't blown away, but this type of story is certainly up my alley. Main character has a revelationa fter he realizes there's more to life, upon realizing he's drawn to feelings of moral responsibility and regret, which brings him to a more purposeful life, culminating in a revelatory paradisal dream he has of what man could be, if only everyone loved each other like themself, and banished vice. He becomes a preacher, and there's a really nice quote towards the end of the story as well, that we can end with.
"They tease me now that it was just a dream. But does it make any difference whether it was a dream or not, if this dream proclaimed the Truth to me? For if you once knew the truth and saw it, then you know that it is the truth and there is and can be no other, whether you're asleep or alive. So let it be a dream, let it be, but this life, which you extol so much, I wanted to extinguish by suicide, while my dream, my dream-- oh, it pro claimed to me a new, great, renewed, strong life!
3.5 stars
June 23, 2025
My usual Dostoevsky praise has to follow another collection I really enjoyed. It was a slow burner, as most of his are, but when The Eternal Husband really got going it was a wild ride. I'll break each down, as I enjoyed all 4 of the ones I read (Dreams of a Ridiculous Man I already read).
A Nasty Anecdote - I find these the funniest because Dostoevsky essential just makes a longer-form political joke in this short story. In this case we have a higher ranking official (both civil and military had ranks within Russia at the time) who is having late night drinks with his other rich friends. At this time, Socialism is beginning to become popular and a version of this is broached with the other members. They all mock him at this being preposterous, so he leaves rather tipsy to his carriage missing and sets out on foot. He suddenly runs across one of his staff members in town celebrating his wedding, and in his state thinks it a wonderful idea to congratulate the couple. In his mind it will be grand and their children will remember the event, but instead, reality is they are terrified of angering him, give him way more food and champagne than they can afford and he simply crashes out drunk and has to be given the newlyweds' bed in his stupor. A read that made me cringe the whole time, especially because you know the poor people hate him, and then the narrator reveals exactly how much they hate him and it's so much worse.
The Eternal Husband - Man this one just messed with my head, as most of his longer ones do, and was a majority of this novel. In it, we meet a man referred to as an "Eternal Husband" or, essentially, a guy who always needs to be married but is so passive and deferential that his wife will seek out another man for her needs. Our main character had a love affair with this man's wife for a whole year, and another man from St. Petersburg was also involved for 3 years once he left. We meet this man again when he comes to St. Petersburg and informs us that his wife has passed and he's figuring out what to do. As a note, I love the way we are introduced in the most Dostoevsky way possible, in seeing this man in the street who we think we recognize but are unsure and only truly meet him when he almost opens our door at 3 am blackout drunk.
Shortly thereafter we meet his daughter, who is weirdly about eight years old, and we last saw his wife a little under 9 years ago. The pieces are put together and we decidedly move the child away from the father as we realize he is not fit to have the child due to some abusive tendencies and heavy drinking we're made aware of. Unfortunately, his daughter almost immediately becomes deathly ill and dies in about 10 days. From there, "The Eternal Husband" loses his mind and starts discussing with the main character the other character who slept with this wife and how he went to see him and found he was dead, and then was seen in his funeral procession when he should have been visiting his dying daughter. He becomes more and more unhinged after the death of his daughter and seemingly nothing tying him down. He eventually tells us a few weeks later that he is getting married again, introduces us to the family (who all like the main character more and his "wife" even flirts with him) and then wants us to have nothing to do with them when he notices this issue. More insanity continues while he spirals out of control, eventually leading to the termination of that marriage, and in the process he tries to kill the main character during his sleep, and this final act of attempted revenge seems to free him, and he leaves shortly after. We run into him again later at a train station, and he is once again married to a wife who clearly doesn't love him, and she even hits on our main character again, but he laughs it off and just messes with "The Eternal Husband" about it. A very interesting read that uses labels for humans in a way that seems predictable but somehow doesn't read that way at all.
Bobok - A short story that is from the perspective of a rather depressed individual hanging out in a graveyard after a funeral and he starts to hear the chatter of, what he thinks, are people but are actually the bodies in the graves below him. They go through a funny chatter that is based on their position in society until one of the new bodies says that doesn't make sense (which it doesn't to be fair) and they all argue. It plays on the Russian myth that the soul doesn't release from the body for 40 (I think) days, so what do the souls do during that time under the ground.
The Meek One - This one was twisted and I hesitate to say I fully enjoyed it. We start the story by knowing that the narrator's wife "is on the table" (aka dead in those times) and we work from the beginning of their relationship to her death. We start to learn that it was arranged and she was very, very poor when started to know this man. She would come by his pawn shop to sell knickknacks for any amount of money to keep her family afloat. He was 41 at the time and she was just turning 16. He repeatedly discusses her as "The Meek One" and enjoyed the age gap and the power he had over her (my skin crawled a lot during the descriptions of this one). He validates it all in saying he "saved" her from having to marry a merchant who was 50; what a hero.
Over the course of the novel she slowly gets sicker and sicker as she descends into madness with this clearly raving lunatic. He discusses the things he w0uld "do for her" and his "expectations" all while talking to himself in his home, and they come out more warped than he realizes. In his brain, for instance, he's being frugal and saving money for some big spend in the future so he doesn't spend a dime on any "unnecessary" items, to the point that they are basically poor and starving and simply don't have to. This of course built resentment, and she eventually went to rendezvous with another man, before he caught on, sat behind a door during their meeting, and was thrilled when she just laughed at the individual trying to state his love. From there on out though, their marriage is largely a sham and he even makes a separate bed for her without saying anything. One day he wakes up to her holding his revolver to his forehead and he pretends to go back to sleep. They don't say a word to one another after this, but he knows a move is necessary if they are going to try and redo everything. After learning this information, his wife becomes extremely sick, and, on the day of her death, he went out for a brief few hours and she jumped from the window with a religious icon in her hands. This one felt like the hardest hitting and reminded me of one of my favorite Zola's in Therese Racquin. It showcases what happens with couples that settle, don't communicate, and build up resentment over time. In modern times we have divorces or sometimes unfortunate endings seen here like domestic abuse or suicide, but there is definitely more options available to women overall. I think that's always what makes these hard to read, but makes it so eye-opening, that this man at 41 (!!) married a 16 year old with his open statements of wanting to control her, and her family did it for a couple hundred rubles.
Overall, amazing collection and I really enjoyed all the stories here. I think I almost always love a Dostoevsky, but they can sometimes run together with certain plotlines or openings (especially in the longer ones I have read), but these were very unique and kept me guessing all the way through.
A Nasty Anecdote - I find these the funniest because Dostoevsky essential just makes a longer-form political joke in this short story. In this case we have a higher ranking official (both civil and military had ranks within Russia at the time) who is having late night drinks with his other rich friends. At this time, Socialism is beginning to become popular and a version of this is broached with the other members. They all mock him at this being preposterous, so he leaves rather tipsy to his carriage missing and sets out on foot. He suddenly runs across one of his staff members in town celebrating his wedding, and in his state thinks it a wonderful idea to congratulate the couple. In his mind it will be grand and their children will remember the event, but instead, reality is they are terrified of angering him, give him way more food and champagne than they can afford and he simply crashes out drunk and has to be given the newlyweds' bed in his stupor. A read that made me cringe the whole time, especially because you know the poor people hate him, and then the narrator reveals exactly how much they hate him and it's so much worse.
The Eternal Husband - Man this one just messed with my head, as most of his longer ones do, and was a majority of this novel. In it, we meet a man referred to as an "Eternal Husband" or, essentially, a guy who always needs to be married but is so passive and deferential that his wife will seek out another man for her needs. Our main character had a love affair with this man's wife for a whole year, and another man from St. Petersburg was also involved for 3 years once he left. We meet this man again when he comes to St. Petersburg and informs us that his wife has passed and he's figuring out what to do. As a note, I love the way we are introduced in the most Dostoevsky way possible, in seeing this man in the street who we think we recognize but are unsure and only truly meet him when he almost opens our door at 3 am blackout drunk.
Shortly thereafter we meet his daughter, who is weirdly about eight years old, and we last saw his wife a little under 9 years ago. The pieces are put together and we decidedly move the child away from the father as we realize he is not fit to have the child due to some abusive tendencies and heavy drinking we're made aware of. Unfortunately, his daughter almost immediately becomes deathly ill and dies in about 10 days. From there, "The Eternal Husband" loses his mind and starts discussing with the main character the other character who slept with this wife and how he went to see him and found he was dead, and then was seen in his funeral procession when he should have been visiting his dying daughter. He becomes more and more unhinged after the death of his daughter and seemingly nothing tying him down. He eventually tells us a few weeks later that he is getting married again, introduces us to the family (who all like the main character more and his "wife" even flirts with him) and then wants us to have nothing to do with them when he notices this issue. More insanity continues while he spirals out of control, eventually leading to the termination of that marriage, and in the process he tries to kill the main character during his sleep, and this final act of attempted revenge seems to free him, and he leaves shortly after. We run into him again later at a train station, and he is once again married to a wife who clearly doesn't love him, and she even hits on our main character again, but he laughs it off and just messes with "The Eternal Husband" about it. A very interesting read that uses labels for humans in a way that seems predictable but somehow doesn't read that way at all.
Bobok - A short story that is from the perspective of a rather depressed individual hanging out in a graveyard after a funeral and he starts to hear the chatter of, what he thinks, are people but are actually the bodies in the graves below him. They go through a funny chatter that is based on their position in society until one of the new bodies says that doesn't make sense (which it doesn't to be fair) and they all argue. It plays on the Russian myth that the soul doesn't release from the body for 40 (I think) days, so what do the souls do during that time under the ground.
The Meek One - This one was twisted and I hesitate to say I fully enjoyed it. We start the story by knowing that the narrator's wife "is on the table" (aka dead in those times) and we work from the beginning of their relationship to her death. We start to learn that it was arranged and she was very, very poor when started to know this man. She would come by his pawn shop to sell knickknacks for any amount of money to keep her family afloat. He was 41 at the time and she was just turning 16. He repeatedly discusses her as "The Meek One" and enjoyed the age gap and the power he had over her (my skin crawled a lot during the descriptions of this one). He validates it all in saying he "saved" her from having to marry a merchant who was 50; what a hero.
Over the course of the novel she slowly gets sicker and sicker as she descends into madness with this clearly raving lunatic. He discusses the things he w0uld "do for her" and his "expectations" all while talking to himself in his home, and they come out more warped than he realizes. In his brain, for instance, he's being frugal and saving money for some big spend in the future so he doesn't spend a dime on any "unnecessary" items, to the point that they are basically poor and starving and simply don't have to. This of course built resentment, and she eventually went to rendezvous with another man, before he caught on, sat behind a door during their meeting, and was thrilled when she just laughed at the individual trying to state his love. From there on out though, their marriage is largely a sham and he even makes a separate bed for her without saying anything. One day he wakes up to her holding his revolver to his forehead and he pretends to go back to sleep. They don't say a word to one another after this, but he knows a move is necessary if they are going to try and redo everything. After learning this information, his wife becomes extremely sick, and, on the day of her death, he went out for a brief few hours and she jumped from the window with a religious icon in her hands. This one felt like the hardest hitting and reminded me of one of my favorite Zola's in Therese Racquin. It showcases what happens with couples that settle, don't communicate, and build up resentment over time. In modern times we have divorces or sometimes unfortunate endings seen here like domestic abuse or suicide, but there is definitely more options available to women overall. I think that's always what makes these hard to read, but makes it so eye-opening, that this man at 41 (!!) married a 16 year old with his open statements of wanting to control her, and her family did it for a couple hundred rubles.
Overall, amazing collection and I really enjoyed all the stories here. I think I almost always love a Dostoevsky, but they can sometimes run together with certain plotlines or openings (especially in the longer ones I have read), but these were very unique and kept me guessing all the way through.
December 23, 2020
From A Nasty Anecdote: “It is known that whole trains of thought sometimes pass instantly through our heads, in the form of certain feelings, without translation into human language, still less literary language. But we shall attempt to translate all these feelings of our hero’s and present the reader if only with the essence of these feelings, with what, so to speak, was most necessary and plausible in them. Because many of our feelings, when translated into ordinary language, will seem perfectly implausible. That is why they never come into the world, and yet everybody has them.”
June 27, 2022
This is a masterful collection of short stories by Dostoevsky. I enjoyed the breadth of narratives presented, with each story varying enough from the previous to hold my attention. While Eternal Husband was the most striking due to how fleshed out it is, every story in this book has a unique and memorable character. Each narrator has a flawed yet deeply relatable perspective that will hook you.
May 27, 2021
As with all the other works by Dostoevsky, I find it hard to stop reading before I finish the stories, but eventually I have to go to sleep. I'm reluctant to say too much because it would be a spoiler. I'll write more when I finish all the stories.
Read
December 25, 2020Some of these seemed to be first attempts at what later became novels. Put this down at some point & just never picked it up again.
March 3, 2021
Great novella. The triangle love that based on Dostoevsky's own experience.
A visitor a friend that you invited to stay at your home but he ends up having an affair with your wife, lowly eh?
A visitor a friend that you invited to stay at your home but he ends up having an affair with your wife, lowly eh?
August 9, 2021
Far from his best work, but solid nonetheless. Also: never read Richard Pevear's introductions; he almost always spoils the plot.
April 23, 2024
A Nasty Anecdote
This was a short story in which Dostoevsky makes fun of how difficult it is to put ideas into practice, regardless of how sensible, good-natured, “humane”, moral, and so on, these ideas are. However, I do not think that it is dismissive of people willing to put their ideas into practice but it shows what can happen as a result of those ideas being tyrannical modes of morality. The overarching lesson is that good intentions are not synonymous with good outcomes. I really enjoyed the amount of characters he gave background on for such a short story.
A quote
“Strangely, at times he was overcome by fits of some morbid conscientiousness and even a slight repentance of something.”
Eternal Husband
What a complex story that evokes an amalgamation of different emotions. It was instantly captivating. I think this is the quintessential Dostoevsky novel. It will have you on the edge of your seat when you think something will happen, it catches you off guard. One of the best examples of this is the conversations between Alexei Ivanovich Velchaninov and Pavel Pavlovich Trusotsky which never really seem to get THERE but have you waiting for the moment and when it does get THERE it is done in the most implicit but organic manner. Indignance and sadness.
A quote:
“Yes, loved me from spite.. that's the strongest love.” This quote showcases the complexity of human emotion Dostoevsky presents in this book.
Bobok
I am not a fan of magical realism but picture that you have a chance to eavesdrop on the afterlife and you take it. It is not what you expect.
A quote
“There is so much suffering and torment in life, and so little reward..” I like this quote because it seems taken out of a Woody Allen movie.
The Meek One
This is the best story narrated from the point of view of a villain. It is not clear at the start, while reading it, or even at the end that he is in fact a villain. I personally did not notice it till after I sat the book in front of me after having finished it and came to that conclusion. A conclusion that is brewing in the back of your head but you are unaware of. In short, it is the story of an antisocial man who drives his inappropriately younger wife to the point of suicide. He had such “noble” intentions while he was doing it too, so it has you confused but it is really a rationalization of incapapabilities. I will not share anymore besides that it was wonderfully crafted.
Two quotes:
“And since she was too chaste, too pure to consent to the kind of love a merchant needs, she didnt want to deceive me.”
“Only people and around them, silence- thats the earth!”
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man
Starts off with one of the funniest quotes I have ever read… “Maybe from the age of seven I already knew that I was ridiculous. Then I went to school, then to university, and what- the more I studied, the more I learned I was ridiculous.” Fucking hilarious, had me laughing out loud in a coffee shop full of people making me look, incidentally, ridiculous. This extremely short story is a little over twenty pages. I firmly believe due to its short nature and incredible ethos and pathos but even better the dismissal of logos, it should be a must-read in every school. The main idea is hard to describe and there is some insight I have developed through it which is something along the lines of “knowledge is only attainable through stories which is how we have processed information for thousands of years”. To put the lesson to the best of my abilities would be that honor, TRUTH, and many notions that make us act ostensibly virtuously.
A quote:
“The consciousness of life is higher than life, the knowledge of the laws of happiness is higher than happiness- that is what must be fought!... And I will. If only everyone wants it, everything can be set up at once.”
This was a short story in which Dostoevsky makes fun of how difficult it is to put ideas into practice, regardless of how sensible, good-natured, “humane”, moral, and so on, these ideas are. However, I do not think that it is dismissive of people willing to put their ideas into practice but it shows what can happen as a result of those ideas being tyrannical modes of morality. The overarching lesson is that good intentions are not synonymous with good outcomes. I really enjoyed the amount of characters he gave background on for such a short story.
A quote
“Strangely, at times he was overcome by fits of some morbid conscientiousness and even a slight repentance of something.”
Eternal Husband
What a complex story that evokes an amalgamation of different emotions. It was instantly captivating. I think this is the quintessential Dostoevsky novel. It will have you on the edge of your seat when you think something will happen, it catches you off guard. One of the best examples of this is the conversations between Alexei Ivanovich Velchaninov and Pavel Pavlovich Trusotsky which never really seem to get THERE but have you waiting for the moment and when it does get THERE it is done in the most implicit but organic manner. Indignance and sadness.
A quote:
“Yes, loved me from spite.. that's the strongest love.” This quote showcases the complexity of human emotion Dostoevsky presents in this book.
Bobok
I am not a fan of magical realism but picture that you have a chance to eavesdrop on the afterlife and you take it. It is not what you expect.
A quote
“There is so much suffering and torment in life, and so little reward..” I like this quote because it seems taken out of a Woody Allen movie.
The Meek One
This is the best story narrated from the point of view of a villain. It is not clear at the start, while reading it, or even at the end that he is in fact a villain. I personally did not notice it till after I sat the book in front of me after having finished it and came to that conclusion. A conclusion that is brewing in the back of your head but you are unaware of. In short, it is the story of an antisocial man who drives his inappropriately younger wife to the point of suicide. He had such “noble” intentions while he was doing it too, so it has you confused but it is really a rationalization of incapapabilities. I will not share anymore besides that it was wonderfully crafted.
Two quotes:
“And since she was too chaste, too pure to consent to the kind of love a merchant needs, she didnt want to deceive me.”
“Only people and around them, silence- thats the earth!”
The Dream of a Ridiculous Man
Starts off with one of the funniest quotes I have ever read… “Maybe from the age of seven I already knew that I was ridiculous. Then I went to school, then to university, and what- the more I studied, the more I learned I was ridiculous.” Fucking hilarious, had me laughing out loud in a coffee shop full of people making me look, incidentally, ridiculous. This extremely short story is a little over twenty pages. I firmly believe due to its short nature and incredible ethos and pathos but even better the dismissal of logos, it should be a must-read in every school. The main idea is hard to describe and there is some insight I have developed through it which is something along the lines of “knowledge is only attainable through stories which is how we have processed information for thousands of years”. To put the lesson to the best of my abilities would be that honor, TRUTH, and many notions that make us act ostensibly virtuously.
A quote:
“The consciousness of life is higher than life, the knowledge of the laws of happiness is higher than happiness- that is what must be fought!... And I will. If only everyone wants it, everything can be set up at once.”
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