Noted for his sympathetic portrayals of the downtrodden members of nineteenth-century Russian society, Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821–1881) has exercised immense influence on modern writers. His fiction, rich in philosophical and psychological insights, anticipated the development of psychoanalysis and existentialism. This anthology offers an excellent introduction to Dostoyevsky as well as a portable collection for readers already acquainted with the Russian author's works.
Three novellas appear here in their entirety: Poor Folk, The Double, and Notes from the Underground. An excerpt from Crime and Punishment provides a compelling sample of Dostoyevsky's masterwork, and short stories include "Another Man's Wife" and "White Nights."