Is there anything I should know or be aware of before starting "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky that would make the reading more enjoyable or add more depth to the story or characters?

By violet_willow

I grabbed this book the other day at the bookstore and figured I’d ask about it before I start reading. Before getting into Moby-Dick, I tried looking into the bigger themes like human mortality, the whole search for God/the unknown kind of stuff, and honestly, Moby-Dick is still my all-time favorite book. I don’t know, I’ve just never found another book where I can see the surroundings so clearly and still feel really connected to the characters. This is my first time reading this author, though—I did look up a bit about their personal life. Any thoughts? Thanks!