Beginner question
Dostoevsky: where to start, and which translation?
Reading order
White Nights
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Very short; the BookTok gateway. Tells you in an evening if you like his voice.
112 pp≈3 h●○○ GentleEdition: Penguin Little Black Classics · ISBN 9780241252086
Notes from Underground
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Short but intense; the psychology everything else builds on.
136 pp≈3 h●●○ SteadyRead this first: Part 1 is the hard, ranting monologue; Part 2 is story. Some readers start with Part 2.
Edition: Vintage Books · ISBN 9780679734529
Crime and Punishment
Fyodor Dostoevsky
The page-turner. The usual first big novel.
671 pp≈17 h●●○ SteadyRead this first: Keep a list of characters' names and nicknames.
Edition: Penguin · ISBN 9780140449136
The Brothers Karamazov
Fyodor Dostoevsky
His summit. Save it until you've finished one big novel.
1056 pp≈26 h●●● DemandingRead this first: Read 'The Grand Inquisitor' chapter if you want to sample the big ideas first.
Edition: Penguin Classics · ISBN 9780140449242
Which translation or edition?
Our pick for a first read: whichever of Garnett or Pevear & Volokhonsky (P&V) you can get cheapest. Commentary Magazine's Gary Saul Morson recommends Garnett for a first reading and P&V for a second. r/dostoevsky readers split: P&V for accuracy and endnotes, Garnett for flow. Katz and Avsey come up as alternatives.
Garnett sample (public domain, opening of Crime and Punishment):
On an exceptionally hot evening early in July a young man came out of the garret in which he lodged in S. Place and walked slowly, as though in hesitation, towards K. bridge.
Source: Project Gutenberg #2554. P&V is still in copyright, so we don't quote it; compare a library or bookshop preview before you buy.
Where people get stuck
- The translation debate puts people off starting at all. Threads keep concluding 'it doesn't matter much, pick one'.
- Russian names and nicknames: each character has several. Keep a character list (P&V includes one).
- Starting with Brothers Karamazov and stalling.
FAQ
Is Dostoevsky worth reading?
It's one of the most-asked autocomplete questions. Try White Nights first: it's short enough to find out cheaply.
Do I need to know Russian history?
No. Editions with endnotes (e.g. P&V) cover the references.