New Books in Russian and Eurasian Studies A Brief Look at the Life and Times of Fyodor Dostoevsky
Aug 25, 2021
Join us in conversation with Fyodor Dostoevsky, celebrated Russian author, as Prof. Slobodanka Vladiv-Glover provides insights into his life and major works. Explore his innovative writing style, portrayal of dissented modern subject, and his perspective on Russian politics. Discover Dostoevsky's dangerous ideas and aesthetic messages that nearly cost him his life.
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Dostoyevsky's Harsh Exile
- Dostoyevsky was sentenced to death at 27 but his sentence was commuted to 10 years in Siberia.
- He spent four years in chains, reading only one copy of the Bible, shaping his future writing profoundly.
Dostoyevsky's Radical Poetics
- Dostoyevsky's characters are puppets driven by unconscious forces, prefiguring Freud's psychoanalysis.
- His novels mix comedy and deep dialectics, challenging readers beyond simple plot understanding.
Challenging Dostoyevsky Myths
- Common myths label Dostoyevsky as a slave of file, nationalist, conservative, and Christian believer.
- These arise from his polemical public writings aligned with Tsarist regime politics under censorship.