The House of the Dead

Original Copy good quality pages and cover. Came in good condition.

Fine

It feels like its a used book there are some stains on the book and it the first time i have received this worst packaging in my whole life 😒

Hi Team, Here is my feedback: Please increase the size of the book (height and width). Then, you can increase the font along with the number of pages. The current size of the book forcefully compresses a huge amount of content in small font, which is hard to read. You can slightly increase the price accordingly. Regards, Veeru

Dostoevsky is the best Russian philosopher

This is a good entry point for reading through Dostoevsky’s novels, the project I have set out for the next 12-18 months. History has already rendered its opinion on the great Russian novelist but I will toss in my 2 cents worth. My version has a different cover design but the same content and translator. This translation has a very British sound to it but seemed very good. A few brief notes were included that clarified what would have been very obscure references. The print is on the small side and some of the paragraphs consume more than a page. Keeping all the names straight is an ongoing challenge. Nice inexpensive paperback ( used). Looking forward to some short stories and then on to the bigger novels. Join me in this reading challenge.

After reading most of Dostoyevsky's works, save for The House of the Dead, I decided to wade into his 'memoir' of prison to explore his experience that no doubt coloured his subsequent writing. I wasn't disappointed. He writes "through" a fictitious character, rather than telling his story in "first person." As I read the fictional character's account of the years spent as a convict, as an 'unfortunate,' I couldn't help but "hear" Dostoyevsky's voice, not the voice of his fictional literary "alter-ego." One moment finds the author a psychologist, the next a sociologist and the next a philosopher. Combine all three disciplines, spice with abundant, incisive self-examination and one has a book that not only entertains but shocks the reader. His attention to detail is a hallmark of the work. One's sensibilities are offended by the atrocious treatment of human beings and by the heinous crimes of some of the convicts. One's emotions are twisted by the unbelievable images created by Dostoyevsky's keen perceptions, both of his fellow "convicts" and of the sadistic so-called "executioners" -- the happy, gleeful, mentally deranged constabulary that seem to only live for the beatings and floggings of the inmates; these marginal humans revel in administering severe punishments, even unto death. However, there are enough "lighter" moments, even compassionate moments (like the Stage Show and Hospital) sprinkled into the narrative to lift the reader out of rising despair and ease uncommon tension. As well, the author describes some of his fellow prisoners in near comedic terms. Would I recommend this work to readers? Absolutely, but be prepared for a dose of reality that often exists without non-fictional illumination--the kind that may sharpen one's sanguine view of humanity. Like most Russian literature, compelling images, cogent thoughts and feelings will tend to remain with the reader for some time. Ard Caldwell Kelowna

Dostoevsky's 4-year prison sentence was a hellish experience for the author. From it came a literary masterpiece: The House of the Dead. His insight into the human psyche is superb here as it is elsewhere in his other masterpieces- he masterly captures the emotions, tensions, and unspoken thoughts among his protagonists. He slow-walks his reader deep into the oppressive bowels of his prison life. While weaving stories of seared souls he paints raw unforgettable tableaus that excite all the senses of the psyche. But his triumph lies not just there but also in drawing a universal psychological portraiture of the incarcerated criminal, of his social life behind prison walls, his interactions with penal professionals, his aspirations, and above all his stunted personhood. The universality of this masterpiece is not limited to the prison life but also it embraces the condition of the sinning or erring Man. It erects blueprints for understanding and for restoring his brokenness. It sets the ground for a spiritual exercise of restoration and rehabilitation. A must read.

It's good but I haven't read it yet.