Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821–1881) wrote novels, novellas, short stories, essays and other literary works. Raised by a literate family, Dostoyevsky discovered literature at an early age, beginning when his mother introduced the Bible to him. Nannies near the hospitalsin the grounds of which he was raisedintroduced Dostoyevsky to fairy tales, legends and sagas. His mother's subscription to the Library of Reading gave him access to the leading contemporary Russian and non-Russian literature. After his mother's death, Dostoyevsky moved from a boarding school to a military academy and despite the resulting lack of money, he was captivated by literature until his death.
Dostoyevsky started his writing career after finishing university. He started translating literature from Frenchwhich he learnt at the boarding schoolinto Russian, and then wrote short stories. With the success of his first novel, Poor Folk, he became known throughout Saint Petersburg and Russia. Vissarion Belinsky, Alexander Herzen and others praised Poor Folks depiction of poverty, and Belinsky called it Russia's "first social novel". This success did not continue with his second novel, The Double, and other short stories published mainly in left-wing magazines. These magazines included Notes of the Fatherland and The Contemporary.
Dostoyevsky's renewed financial troubles led him to join several political circles. Because of his participation in the Petrashevsky Circle, in which he distributed and read several Belinsky articles deemed as anti-religious and anti-government, he and other members were sentenced to capital punishment. He was pardoned at the last minute, but they were imprisoned in SiberiaDostoyevsky for four years. During his detention he wrote several works, including the autobiographical The House of the Dead. A New Testament booklet, which had been given shortly before his imprisonment, and other literature obtained outside of the barracks, were the only books he read at that time.
Following his release, Dostoyevsky read a myriad of literature and gradually became interested in nationalistic and conservative philosophies and increasingly sceptical towards contemporary movementsespecially the Nihilists. Dostoyevsky wrote his most important works after his time in Siberia, including Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Gambler, Demons, and The Brothers Karamazov. With the help of his brother Mikhail, Dostoyevsky opened two magazinesVremya and Epochin which some of his stories appeared. Following their closures, most of his works were issued in the conservative The Russian Messenger until the introduction of A Writer's Diary, which comprised most of his worksincluding essays and articles. Several drafts and plans, especially those begun during his honeymoon, were unfinished at his death.
Novels and novellas + List of novels and novellas of Fyodor Dostoyevsky Title 1st publisher 1st English translator Notes Бедные люди, Bednye Lyudi (1894) Novel Двойник, Dvoynik (1917) Novel Хозяйка, Khozayka (1913) Novella Неточка Незванова (1920) Novel; unfinished Дядюшкин сон, Dyadushkin son (1888) Novella Село Степанчиково и его обитатели, Selo Stepanchikovo i evo obitateli (1887) Novel; also known as The Friend of the Family Униженные и оскорблённые, Unizhyonnye i oskorblyonye (1887) Novel; also known as Insulted and Injured and Injury and Insult Записки из Мёртвого дома,Zapiski iz Myortvogo doma (1881) Novel; also known as House of the Dead, or Prison Life in Siberia and Buried Alive: Or, Ten Years of Penal Servitude in Siberia Записки из подполья,Zapiski iz podpol'ya (1913) Novella in two parts; also known as Notes from the Underground and Letters from the Underworld Преступление и наказание, Prestupleniye i nakazaniye (1885) Novel Игрок, Igrok (1887) Novel Идиот, Idiot (1887) Novel Вечный муж, Vechnyi muzh (1888) Novel; also known as The Permanent Husband Бесы, Besy (1916) Novel; also known as The Possessed and The Devils Подросток, Podrostok (1916) Novel; also known as The Raw Youth and An Accidental Family Братья Карамазовы,Brat'ya Karamazovy (1900) Novel in twelve "books" and an epilogue; originally intended as first part of the epic The Life of a Great Sinner
Short stories + List of short stories of Fyodor Dostoyevsky Title 1st publisher 1st English translator Notes Господин Прохарчин, Gospodin Prokharchin (1918) Роман в девяти письмах, Roman v devyati pis'makh Unknown (1900) Ревнивый муж, Revnyvyi muzh – Чужая жена, Chuzhaya zhena – Чужая жена и муж под кроватью,Chuzhaya zhena i muzh pod krovat'yu Unknown (1900) Merger between "A Jealous Husband" and "Another Man's Wife" Слабое сердце, Slaboe serdtse (1918) Also known as "A Faint Heart" Ползунков, Polzunkov (1918) Честный вор, Chestnyi vor Unknown (1900) Ёлка и свадьба, Yolka i svad'ba (1918) Белые ночи, Belye nochi (1918) Маленький герой, Malenkiy geroy (1918) Скверный анекдот, Skvernyi anekdot Unknown (1900) Also known as "A Disgraceful Affair", "A Nasty Anecdote", "A Most Unfortunate Incident", "An Unpleasant Predicament" Крокодил, Krokodil Unknown (1900) Бобок, Bobok Unknown (1900) Мужик Марей, Muzhik Marey Unknown (1900) Мальчик у Христа на ёлке, Mal'chik u Khrista na yolke Unknown (1900) Кроткая, Krotkaya (1917) Also known as "The Meek One", "A Gentle Maiden", "The Gentle Maiden", "A Gentle Spirit" Сон смешного человека, Son smeshnogo cheloveka Unknown (1900)
Articles and essays
Diary articles
Dostoyevsky wrote 221 Diary articles (excluding short stories listed in the respective section above) within two periods. The initial 1873 works were published in The Citizen, the editor of which was Dostoyevsky, and from 1876 – 1877 the Diary was self-published. The English titles of the following list of works are extracted from Kenneth Lantz's two-volume translations.
A Writer's Diary is a collection mainly of essays and articles, which also include, for example, answers to readers, introductions, etc., making the Diaries a journal-like book written and mostly edited by Dostoyevsky.
List of initial Diary articles, issued in 1873:
"Introduction" "Old People" "Environment" "Something Personal" "Vlas" "A Troubled Countenance" "A Half-Letter From 'A Certain Person'" "Apropos of the Exhibition" "An Impersonator" "Dreams and Musings" "Apropos of a New Play" "Little Picture" "To a Teacher" "Something about Lying" "One of Today's Falsehoods"
Other articles and essays
Dostoyevsky wrote articles and essays outside the Diaries collection. These include the 1863 travelogue Winter Notes on Summer Impressions, in which he satirised and criticised European life. Other articles were written in response or as a criticism to a literary work, a person's view, requests to the military during the imprisonment period, announcements, notes and explanations. Some of them were written for different journals or almanacs.
Letters