Central Kansas Library System

The Possessed is a novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, first published in the journal The Russian Messenger in 1871—2. It is considered one of the four masterworks written by Dostoyevsky after his return from Siberian exile, along with Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869) and The Brothers Karamazov (1880). Demons is a social and political satire, a psychological drama, and large scale tragedy. Joyce Carol Oates has described it as "Dostoyevsky's...

Los textos de esta antología, extraídos de sus principales obras, se detienen a considerar el contraste entre el bien y el mal, Dios y la inmortalidad del alma, y las propuestas sociales que rechazan la trascendencia. Su perspectiva, siempre detallada y minuciosa en el análisis de lo humano, se siente fuertemente atraída por la inocencia, y persigue la dimensión más trascendente del hombre.

Financial difficulties resulting from an extravagant lifestyle and excessive gambling led Fyodor Dostoevsky to pen his first novel "Poor Folk". First published in 1846, "Poor Folk" is the story of impoverished cousins Varvara Dobroselova and Makar Devushkin. The two live in run-down apartments across the street from each other in St. Petersburg. Through a series of letters to each other we learn of the suffering, humiliation, and isolation that results...

Natasha leaves her parents' home and runs away with Alyosha (prince Alexey) – the son of Prince Valkovsky who abuses her father. As a result of his pain, her father, Nikolai, curses her. The only friend that remains by Natasha's side is Ivan, her childhood friend, who is deeply in love with her. Prince Valkovsky tries to destroy Alyosha's plans to marry Natasha, and wants to make him marry the rich princess Katerina. Alyosha is a childish young man...

This volume contains Fyodor Dostoyevsky's 1877 short story "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man". It begins with a man walking St. Petersburg's streets while musing upon how ridiculous his life is, as well as its distinct lack of meaning or purpose. This train of thought leads him to the idea of suicide, which he resolves to commit using a previously-acquired gun. However, a chance encounter with a distressed little girl in the street derails his drastic...

"Existentialism: Philosophical and Literary Works" is a compelling anthology that delves into the realm of existentialist thought, exploring the profound philosophical and literary works that have shaped this influential movement. From the psychological depths of Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground" to the existential dilemmas of Søren Kierkegaard's "Fear and Trembling," and the introspective reflections of Friedrich Nietzsche's "Ecce Homo,"...

Ivan Ivanovitch is a frustrated writer. One day he attends the funeral of a casual acquaintance and falls to contemplation in the graveyard. He hears the voices of the recently deceased and buried, and he listens to their conversation. They discuss card games and political scandals. As the deceased prepare to entertain themselves by revealing all of the shameful details of their earthly lives, Ivan Ivanovitch sneezes. The dead go silent afterward....

Dostoevsky was 27 years old when he wrote this story. It revolves around two young men, true soul mates, who live in each other's pockets, sharing a flat, social and emotional joys and setbacks. They are young professionals of the time contemplating life, happiness, unexplored joys. One of the two friends develops a vision of universal happiness conflicting with his individual pleasures, and preventing him from marrying a beautiful young girl.

Dostoyevsky's works are marked by his penetrating exploration of psychology and morality, which are today cited as highly 'existentialist.' An Honest Thief illustrates some of the author's most common themes: compassion, integrity and the power of the human spirit. This volume also includes: "Uncle's Dream," "A Novel in Nine Letters," "An Unpleasant Predicament," "Another Man's Wife," "The Heavenly Christmas Tree," "The Peasant Marey," "The Crocodile,"...