The Idiot: Revised and Abridged Thomas Beyer

By Fyodor Dostoevsky

Dostoevsky's novel, The Idiot (186801869) , was an attempt to portray "a truly beautiful soul,' in contrast to the protagonist, Raskolnikov, of his Crime and Punishment. Prince Myshkin (a play on the Russian word for "mouse"), enters the society life of St. Petersburg, with its intrigues, jealousies, romances and criminals. His mild-mannered approach, his ability to "turn the other cheek," is counterposed to ruthless realities. I have been reading and then teaching Dostoevsky for the past 60 years. Like so many others I have been captivated by Dostoevsky's constant concern with the major questions of our existence: Is there a God? How and why does evil exist in our world? What about the suffering of innocent children? Is there a model for living an exemplary good life? While offering a college seminar on Dostoevsky, I wondered if the experience of Dostoevsky's novels could be condensed, while still preserving the spirit of the originals. Who better to undertake the task than a scholar and one who profoundly respects the words of the original Russian? As a translator of other Russian texts, I was acutely aware of what can be "lost in translation." So I carefully proofread, corrected, and condensed the text, consulting the original Russian at critical points. The result, I am convinced, retains the charm of the original translation while also preserving the essence of Dostoevsky's original work. Although the text has been reduced by almost half, I believe listeners and readers, even those familiar with the novel, will be hard-pressed to find the actual cuts. What emerges is, I trust, the "essential Dostoevsky" with his characters, themes, and "accursed questions" intact.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DDGVTS5V
• ISBN13: 9798335073523
• Release Date: August 2024
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 362 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 6.0"