PENGUIN Poor Folk and Other Stories

Early Dostoyevsky. Very enjoyable for anyone who is a Dostoyevsky fan. I would certainly recommend this modest little tome. If you are not familiar with Dostoyevsky's work, this could whet your appetite.

This bundle of short stories shows clearly the literary evolution of Dostoyevsky in his early writing years.The first two stories, `Poor Folk' and `The Landlady', have essentially the same theme as "White Nights' (not in this bundle).The differences between the three treatments illustrate perfectly this evolution: from foggy, indirect, tearful prose, over generating intriguing questions marks and confusing psychology, to direct, sharp storytelling with unexpected U-turns and psycho-shocks; in one word, from expressing emotions to arousing them in the heart of the reader.Poor FolkDostoyevsky's first short novel (in letters) is a sentimental, colorless and in no way a subtle text, where literature is `a picture and a mirror, an expression of emotion, a subtle form of criticism, a didactic lesson and a document.'However, art constitutes an essential part of the story. When the vulgar opinion that `novels were the ruin of young girls, that books were harmful to morality', overwhelms a young girl, the relationship is broken.The LandladyThis story, where a poor lodger falls in love with the young wife of an old man, is not a typical Dostoyevsky text, because it uses some kind of `supernatural' elements, like the confusing mental nature of the female protagonist. It contains, however, a typical Dostoyevskyan wrap-up.Mr Prokharchin, Polzunkov`Mr Prokharchin' is a sharp psychological portrait of `an unconventional capitalist'.`Polzunkov' is a superb persiflage of a corrupt bureaucracy, where a bribe-taker under blackmail is forced to pay a bribe himself. An April Fool's Day joke gives him an opportunity to take revenge on the blackmailer.This bundle is not a good introduction to Dostoyevsky's work.Far better are other short novels/stories like `White Nights', `The Gambler', `The Eternal Husband' or `Uncle's dream'.But, highly recommended to all Dostoyevsky fans.

This man really has a way with words. His story telling is close to everyday life. I love the way he tells us about Russia in his time and of his experience growing up. He is one of the great author’s to come from Russia. I have read all his books and am now re reading them. I feel when I read his stories I am living right along side the character’s. I would absolutely recommend this read and all he has to offer in his writing.

Wonderful !!! (and believe it or not, the author is Russian ). I have heard of numerous readers claiming that if it's Russian it can't be much good and automatically give it bad marks. Well, all you parochials out there, Russia has a great history and culture that unfortunately the West is not interested in. Yet we could learn so much from men like Dostoyevsky, Turgenev, and Tolstoy. Highly recommended!

here in this book the printed sentences look they are meant for the readers of some kind of mini world....too smaal print..