Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Possibly the best book I have read (so far) June 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the first 19th century "classic" that I have read, and rather naively I expected it to be long and boring. But I couldn't have been more wrong; I found Dostoevsky's "The Idiot" to be a beautiful book, that I was unable to put down. When I should have been studying I was reading this religiously, enthralled by its wide range of brilliant characters (but then characterization is one of Dostoevsky's strong points). It's beautiful, tragic, and philosophically brilliant. And it has Prince Myshkin, one of the most memorable (and likable) characters in literature. Read it!
with Whatmark? October 1, 2007
0 out of 6 found this review helpful
I was sorely disappointed to find no ornate, no even slightly decorative piece of card to help me mark this book. To charge however much more advertising 'with Bookmark' (a capital 'B', take note) only to give the standard line of linen attached to the book is a little scandalous, Ms. Amazon, a little.
(Don't all the Everyman's Library Hardcover titles have a bookmark within them?)
Am I the only one to have not recieved this special 'Idiot Bookmark', or am I simply the Idiot in this situation. The book is lovely but where's the mark!? [the rating is in no way associated with the alleged Bookmark scandal]
 Issues with the Wordsworth translation... August 20, 2006
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
...took the edge off of this book for me. Please, if you're thinking of reading it, don't buy the Wordsworth even if it is much cheaper. The translation is very strained and produces some quite mangled sentences. Particularly with respect to pronouns, I found: sentences like "He said such-and-such to him" frequently left me puzzled as to exactly who was being addressed and by whom. And certain cultural references that I presume would have been obvious to a 19th-century Russian were left unexplained. The lack of any kind of notes or list of characters was also missed.
The blurb and the other reviews suffice to tell what the story is about so I will just add that this is still a very interesting read which could be as good as Crime and Punishment depending on the translation. For a non-Russian the exotic Russian names and particularly the use of patronymics and diminutives adds a little to the confusion and may cause the reader to conflate several characters for quite a while, but I found that after a couple of hundred pages I was more comfortable with this. I was less comfortable with the fiery Russian temperament of the characters - particularly Aglaia and Lizaveta Prokofyevna - which frequently meant that they hated and loved someone...and then hated and loved them again...all in the space of one paragraph. It's often hard to tell who is mad and who is sane. They all seem a little mad. Still, it is certainly very intriguing and interesting and I recommend it.
A revealing classic August 8, 2006
9 out of 11 found this review helpful
The Idiot is one of the finest novels in history, perhaps the finest. In this novel, the enigma that is often referred to as "THE RUSSIAN SOUL" is variously dissected through the different characters and more so by the hero of the story Prince Myshkin. In its simplest explanation, it is a soul with good intentions but faulty in executing the intentions. It is a soul in conflict, driven by the zest for life and a search of its meaning. Certainly the most Christian of Dostoyevsky's novels, THE IDIOT portrays how disastrous a good life can be. Rich in characters, this classic centers mostly on the good Prince Myshkin, a recovering epileptic with a rich soul who is easily perceived as an 'idiot' by the casual observer who focuses on his childlike manners especially in expressing himself and his naivety in dealing with people. But then a closer look reveals that his manners are the reflections of his honest soul, the wealth of his big heart and the broadness of his mind.
And only in deeper engagements does it become evident that Myshkin however has superior understanding and expression, which makes him modest and intelligent rather than stupid. His simple, honest and decent life is succinctly conveyed in his interactions, generating both love and resentment. The saintly Myshkin however struggles to deal with a materialistic world which has no place for the virtuous, and to reconcile his passionate and compassionate love for two women. But the love of the women corrupt and drives men out of their minds. Nastasia Filipovna whom Myshkin has compassionate love for is a tormented soul that can only love Christ and in Myshkin she found that Christ-like figure. Her rival Aglia has Myshkin's heart but failed to understand Myshkin's serene love for her and abandons him to the destructive love of Nastasia.
This is great intellectual work that we should to take seriously in general, a book to read with a serious mindset. Then you will understand the unique nature of Russia which our western minds have difficulties to comprehend. This strange land called Russia that has a bigger soul than any other is explored here in this story in a way that only Dostoyevsky unveils. Read it and you will finish it enriched. The Idiot is a thoroughly enjoyable novel of ideas that explores the nature of man and society and gives you a better idea of man and his actions. You shouldn't find it strange that the characters are philosophical, impulsive, introspective, energetic, colorful, and extreme in their passions. That is Russia, a land of extremes. This book is likely to impact you. It is one of the few of our times. I highly recommend it along with THE UNION MOUJIK.Also recommended: THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV,THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, TRIPLE AGENT DOUBLE CROSS
one of my favourite books March 28, 2006
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
I am suprised that many readers seem to feel that the book goes of as it progresses. I thought it was wonderful all through although I wasn't quite convinced by the ending.I found all the characters interesting and engaging. It is written with great feverishness that sweeps the reader into the world of the novel. I read the pengin classics version and found the translation perfectly acceptable. This book works almost as an encyclopedia of emotions, using various incidents and set pieces. I am only eighteen and found the book completely accessable: don't be put off because it is aclassic, or overly respectful and intellectual, it is just a wonderful book.
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