Fyodor Dostoevsky by Peter Leithart

Fyodor Dostoevsky, written by Peter Leithart is part of the Christian Encounters Series from Thomas Nelson Publishing, which is a series of short biographies on various people such as Dostoevsky here, Jane Austen, John Bunyan, and others.

When people see the name Fyodor Dostoevsky, they immediately think of Crime and Punishment. Well, I know I do anyway.  He was also the author of work such as The Brothers Karamazov and The Underground Man.  While I have read his work, I came to realize that I knew next to nothing about this man, except that he was exiled to a Serbian prison, which allowed him to observe the human condition, reflect, and influence his writing.  So, a book such as this one was a welcome read, and one I looked forward to getting into.

I admit, I found it to be a little dull in the beginning, and I had the feeling that I was going to have to push myself to finish it, and then wrestle with myself to find something nice to say. But, as his life went on, it became much more interesting and I found it quite easy to get into.  It is written not as a “stuffy biography”, but reads more like any other novel with characters interacting with one another, scenes and actions earning description, and conversation flowing steady.  Because of this, I could see it a popular choice for, say, a highschool student who needs or wishes to know more about the man, and it would also be a good choice for anyone older as well because rarely are biographies on such a person (someone literary meshed with political) presented in this way. This is one that doesn’t actually induce sleep. (And, the proposal of Dostoevsky to his Anna is so endearing! Ladies, get your hankies!)

It is a short read, at only 175 pages, but the author does include a list of reference notes, which is great for fact-checking, and he also includes a bibliography which is great for further reading.  While it is entertaining, it is not a one-stop type of biography, but it will help the reader understand this literary great a good deal more.

3 & ½ Stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.