The Idiot - Fyodor Dostoevsky
Translated from Russian by Constance Garnett, 1913.
Originally published in Russian 1868-1869.
This was a hard slog.
You may have noticed lately that my reading output has dropped. Although I can put some of it down to busyness or other external factors, a good chunk of my actual reading time over the last month (at least) has been devoted to getting through this novel. It is a slightly longer novel than some I've read this year (559 pages), but the style has been the hardest factor - I have managed to get through longer novels far quicker.
I'm still a little torn as to why this is, particularly as I really enjoyed The Brothers Karamazov, which is also by Dostoevsky. For a while I thought it might be the translation, but both novels were translated by the same person, so that also seems unlikely. One thing that might explain it came up when I began looking into the book's creation a bit further after finally having finished reading it. I've learned that Dostoesvky began writing The Idiot without knowing where it was going to go... and to me, it shows.
The Idiot tells the story (mostly) of Prince Myshkin, a slightly naive and good-hearted individual who gets caught up in a world of intrigue when he returns to Russia after spending time in an asylum in Switzerland. In St Petersburg he is captivated by the beautiful but promiscuous Nastasya Filippovna, a woman with a very broken past who is being pursued by a few less-than-honourable men. His desire to show her that she is lovable drives him to sacrifice his honour, and as the plot continues to unfold sweeps the lives of all the central characters in numerous different directions. At times the plot seems to be heading towards a positive resolution, only for another moment of misplaced honour (on Myshkin's part) or misunderstanding (on most other characters' parts) to spiral it back towards the tragic. Without getting too specific, tragedy and sadness remains at the end as well.
If the book had been thought through a little bit more I think it could have been quite a strong story. The overall beats are interesting, Myshkin is tragic and somewhat relatable, and the discussions of life, philosophy and theology sprinkled throughout the book (as in Karamazov) are still worth considering. But the lack of planning shows to the detriment of the plot. Characters' motivations and feelings would have been more impacting had they been introduced earlier in the proceedings, and would have given a sense of purpose to the earlier, less focussed parts of the story.
I might revisit this to dig out particular quotes or ponder sections of philosophy, but it is unlikely to be one I revisit as a whole.
Completed 17 September 2022.
Comments
Post a Comment