Dear Fyodor,
Long after you were gone from this earth, a reader found and read your letters written in 1870 to your sisters.
The reader is a young girl who winces in pain as she reads about your wife, Anna & your newborn Lyubov's health. Were you lonely when you had to leave Russia? How the reader wishes to comfort you by letting you know that your 'The Idiot' will sell copies & will get you money and free you from the creditor's shackles!
Do not give up on the world yet! The people will know your troubles and they shall feel the pain too. Know that you'll have readers from all the imaginable corners of the world.
You'll live forever, Dear Mr. Dostoevsky!
With all love and respect,
a young reader.
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I wrote this long ago, during a creative writing elective in architecture school! Did not think the elective would last long, but I loved being there for the few classes it did. A movie had released then, based on 'White Nights' written by Dostoevsky, and it had beautiful visuals. That prompted me to search for White Nights, which was unavailable then. After six months and a few attempts at locating the book, I gave up!
Later I began reading Lev Tolstoy and almost sidelined my inquisitiveness for Dostoevsky's written works. One day while rummaging through an old trunk at home, I found a clipping of an article from 'Misha', the children's magazine and decided to see if it was available at any of those second-hand bookshops/ street book sellers, but Alas! I've been unfortunate so far. I am not giving up though. I found old MAD issues through a very persistent search of Mumbai's book bazaars.
A few days ago, I read an article on Dostoevsky's letters to his family and some friends in a magazine and also came across this old piece of writing. He influenced Chekhov and Sartre, so his essays are a must read too! There's something about Russian Literature and I think its time now to make a list of his novels, novellas & all his works, and read them too.
Here's a few to start with:
1. Notes from Underground
2. White Nights
3. The dream of a ridiculous man and selections from The House of the dead
4. A Writer's Diary
5. The Brothers Karamazov
Long after you were gone from this earth, a reader found and read your letters written in 1870 to your sisters.
The reader is a young girl who winces in pain as she reads about your wife, Anna & your newborn Lyubov's health. Were you lonely when you had to leave Russia? How the reader wishes to comfort you by letting you know that your 'The Idiot' will sell copies & will get you money and free you from the creditor's shackles!
Do not give up on the world yet! The people will know your troubles and they shall feel the pain too. Know that you'll have readers from all the imaginable corners of the world.
You'll live forever, Dear Mr. Dostoevsky!
With all love and respect,
a young reader.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I wrote this long ago, during a creative writing elective in architecture school! Did not think the elective would last long, but I loved being there for the few classes it did. A movie had released then, based on 'White Nights' written by Dostoevsky, and it had beautiful visuals. That prompted me to search for White Nights, which was unavailable then. After six months and a few attempts at locating the book, I gave up!
Later I began reading Lev Tolstoy and almost sidelined my inquisitiveness for Dostoevsky's written works. One day while rummaging through an old trunk at home, I found a clipping of an article from 'Misha', the children's magazine and decided to see if it was available at any of those second-hand bookshops/ street book sellers, but Alas! I've been unfortunate so far. I am not giving up though. I found old MAD issues through a very persistent search of Mumbai's book bazaars.
A few days ago, I read an article on Dostoevsky's letters to his family and some friends in a magazine and also came across this old piece of writing. He influenced Chekhov and Sartre, so his essays are a must read too! There's something about Russian Literature and I think its time now to make a list of his novels, novellas & all his works, and read them too.
Here's a few to start with:
1. Notes from Underground
2. White Nights
3. The dream of a ridiculous man and selections from The House of the dead
4. A Writer's Diary
5. The Brothers Karamazov
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