A new translation of one of the most popular classics of Russian literature by the author of Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov. The unnamed narrator of the novel, a former government official, has decided to retire from the world and lead a life of inactivity and contemplation. His fiercely bitter, cynical, and witty monologue ranges from general observations and philosophical musings to memorable scenes from his own lifeincluding his obsessive plans to exact petty revenge on an officer who has shown him disrespect and a dramatic encounter with a prostitute. Seen by many as the first existentialist novel and showcasing the best of Dostoevsky's dry humor, Notes from Under the Floorboards was a pivotal moment in the development of modern literature and has inspired countless novelists, thinkers, and filmmakers.
"E, NA ESCURIDÃO, ME VEIO UMA IDEIA QUE NINGUÉM NUNCA TEVE ANTES... EU QUERIA MATAR ALGUÉM SÓ PARA SABER COMO SERIA."Todos conhecem Raskolnikóv, o pobre e torturado estudante que mata uma velha usurá
Demons is an allegory of the potentially catastrophic consequences of the political and moral nihilism that were becoming prevalent in Russia in the 1860s. A fictional town descends into chaos as it becomes the focal point of an attempted revolution, orchestrated by master conspirator Pyotr Verkhovensky. The mysterious aristocratic figure of Nikolai StavroginVerkhovenskys counterpart in the moral spheredominates the book, exercising an extraordinary influence over the hearts and minds of almost all the other characters. The idealistic, western-influenced generation of the 1840s, epitomized in the character of Stepan Verkhovensky (who is both Pyotr Verkhovenskys father and Nikolai Stavrogins childhood teacher), are presented as the unconscious progenitors and helpless accomplices of the demonic forces that take possession of the town.
The title is an ironic reference to the central character of the novel, Prince Lyov Nikolaevich Myshkin, a young man whose goodness and open-hearted simplicity lead many of the more worldly characters he encounters to mistakenly assume that he lacks intelligence and insight. In the character of Prince Myshkin, Dostoyevsky set himself the task of depicting "the positively good and beautiful man". The novel examines the consequences of placing such a unique individual at the centre of the conflicts, desires, passions and egoism of worldly society, both for the man himself and for those with whom he becomes involved. The result, according to philosopher A.C. Grayling, is "one of the most excoriating, compelling and remarkable books ever written; and without question one of the greatest."
Psychologically probing novel concerns the gambling episodes, tangled love affairs and complicated lives of Alexey Ivanovitch, a young gambler; Polina Alexandrovna, the woman he loves; a pair of French adventurers and other characters. Bleak picture of the fatal attractions of gambling with wonderful characterization, faithful depiction of gambling life at fashionable German watering holes.
Des cinq grands romans de Dostoievski, L''Adolescent est l''avant-dernier, et aussi le moins connu. Il a pourtant un magnifique sujet, un foisonnement de themes, une technique romanesque solide. Le sujet: le passage a l''age adulte d''un jeune homme ambitieux, malheureux, avide et le conflit entre pere et fils. Les themes: l''enfant sans bonheur, l''homme fort, l''argent, l''Occident, l''avenir de la Russie, le socialisme, la societe future, le mouvement revolutionnaire, et meme, sous la forme du pere adoptif du heros, le saint des temps modernes: la foi remporte une victoire sur les desordres de la pensee. On reconnait la tout l''univers de Dostoievski. La technique est celle du roman d''aventures, du roman policier d''Alexandre Dumas ou d''Eugene Sue. L''Adolescent devrait donc connaitre une resurrection, et retrouver sa place parmi les plus grands.
