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Reader discussion: The Idiot

Public reader discussion about The Idiot in the WeRead Catalog by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

The Idiot: Part 3 Chapter 2 discussion

By Superuser

Ugh, I feel like we’ve been thrown right back onto that roller coaster with this chapter. I was kind of relieved we don’t get another huge Prince rant for a while, but then Aglaya totally explodes and basically says she’d never marry him—like, with full confidence. Myshkin just goes along with it and acts like it’s no big deal. I’m not sure what to make of that whole exchange. Is it really as straightforward as it sounds, or is something else going on under the surface? Also… the nonstop laughter everywhere is weirding me out. It’s not just normal fun—sometimes it feels like everyone’s losing it a little. Is Dostoevsky trying to say something about the mood, or is it just meant to be genuine chaos, like they’re all in on it and also not in on it? And the lead-up at the band is a whole scene—people talking, laughing, watching each other. Then Natasya shows up with that rough crowd, and Myshkin looks totally tangled up emotionally since it’s been months. The way she drops that news about Evgenie Pavlovitch’s uncle dying and the money being gone… it just sets everything on fire. Then it goes from bad to worse fast: the officer demands she be punished, she slaps him, the boxer tries to make it fair, and of course Myshkin ends up stepping in and getting attacked for it. I honestly have no idea how the fallout is going to go from here. And then Rogozhin shows up and drags Natasya off, the police show up, the band keeps playing like nothing happened. Honestly, it feels unreal—like the farce is just rolling forward no matter what. Aglaya’s line at the end about wanting to see how it all ends pretty much sums up my own thought, and now I’m stuck waiting till the weekend.

The Idiot: Part 1 Chapter 1 Discussion

By Superuser

Hey everyone—welcome to the first thread for *The Idiot*. I’m guessing a lot of us are reading it for the first time, so let’s try to keep spoilers out. You can talk about whatever chapter you’re on (or earlier stuff you’ve already read), but don’t go past where we are now. Throw out theories if you want, just not anything that gives it away. If you need something to kick off the conversation, I’m curious: is this your first time with Dostoevsky or with Russian lit in general? What were your expectations going in? Also, what’s your first impression of the book so far, and the characters—especially Myshkin, Rogozhin, and Lebedev? Do you feel like you’re already getting a read on them, or does it still feel too early? And who is Nastasya Filippovna, really? I was kind of stuck on what Rogozhin was saying about her—thoughts? Anyway, feel free to add anything else you want to discuss. Names might not match perfectly depending on the translation, and Russian names/titles can get a little messy like that, but we should be able to figure it out.

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky: A Rollercoaster Ride

By martenreader56

I’ve been bingeing Dostoevsky for the last couple weeks and I’m kind of overwhelmed—in a good way. I already tore through Poor Folk, White Nights, The Gambler, House of the Dead, and Crime and Punishment. There’s just so much going on. What gets me is that his books are somehow easy to get pulled into while you’re reading them, almost like you could treat it like a lighter beach read… but then you’re stuck thinking about everything after, like it won’t let you go. I finished The Idiot yesterday and honestly it’s one of the most entertaining novels I’ve read in a while. I can’t stop wondering how everything is going to turn out for the main guy. I got hooked really fast, like after just a few pages. The setup is great too—this mysterious count who’s been living abroad comes back and ends up at this engagement party. It doesn’t go well (obviously), but the party part still starts the whole mess. And he really makes the characters feel real, so it’s hard not to care and just keep reading until the end. The plot itself feels almost simple at first—someone can’t decide who to marry or whether to marry at all. It kind of reminded me of Gambler in that way. But then the deeper stuff hits: you get to see what everyone actually believes, how they think, what they value, and the fights that come out of it. It’s super interesting and, somehow, satisfying. I’m going to drop my favorite bit too—it just feels intense and way more meaningful than I expected.

Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky

By MidnightEclipse7

Just finished and I’m kind of blown away. It’s made me look at life totally differently—especially how I think about human behavior and morals. Dostoevsky really gets you to see his characters as real people, not just obvious good guys and bad guys. Everyone’s doing stuff for their own reasons, and now I can’t really believe in the whole “bad people” versus “good people” thing. Did anyone else read it? What did you think?

The Idiot by Dostoyevsky

By Coastal_Creek

Honestly I don’t have much else to add besides: if you’re gonna read just one Dostoyevsky book (or even just one book in general), I’d really say go for this one. I know people usually bring up *The Brothers Karamazov* or *Crime and Punishment*, but for me it’s *The Idiot*. I just finished it for the fourth time in about ten years, and I already know I’ll be back for another read soon. First time I picked it up when I was around 20, and that was the first time a Dostoyevsky book actually made me cry. It’s such a gorgeous, heartbreaking story. I don’t think I’ve ever related to a character like I have with Prince Myshkin. And weirdly, the parts of me that seem like him have sometimes just led to more misery. I figured when I was younger that maybe I was just being silly and dramatic about it, but nope—it keeps feeling more true the older I get. If it’s on your list at all, or you even have even a tiny bit of interest, please read it next. Oh Myshkin… just take young Aglaya’s hand and run away with her to Switzerland :(. “Pass us by, and forgive us our happiness”

Ranking Dostoevsky Novels

By goose-wind

What Dostoevsky book would you guys say is his best? I’ve made it through The Brothers Karamazov and Notes from the Underground, and I’m just starting Crime and Punishment. They’ve all been amazing, but I’m wondering if it’s actually worth going after his other novels too. Are any of the others really that much better, or is it mostly just the same level of good?

2/3 through with The Idiot, and it's become very slow. Is it worth finishing?

By HiddenSwan6

I’m partway through the PV translation of Dostoevsky’s *The Idiot*. The first chunk was really engaging, but the middle is kind of dragging for me. Should I just keep going, or is it one of those “push through to get to the good part” situations?

White Nights by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

By hare_hill

Just finished White Nights by Dostoyevsky and I’m still kind of blown away. Dude was seriously good at getting inside people’s heads. I’m not totally new to him either—I’ve read Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov, and that second one is still one of my favorite novels ever—so I knew I wasn’t walking into some weird curveball. But still… for how short this is, what he pulls off is wild. It’s basically about two lonely “dreamers,” and honestly in modern terms it’s more like delusional. The narrator especially has this huge inner world just built out of loneliness and wanting real connection. He’s never even had a real conversation with a woman, and instead spends his time imagining this big dramatic romance stuff, like all the “what ifs.” What’s weird is how contemporary it feels. There were moments where I actually felt embarrassed because it was *too* relatable, like the part about hiding in your own head like a turtle—my first thought was basically “yeah, that’s me” and then instantly feeling called out. If you translate him to modern language, he’d probably fit the incel box pretty well. And it’s not just that it’s modern in what it shows, it’s modern in how aware it is of it. He kind of admits over and over that retreating into fantasies and having no social life has just made him spiral deeper, but all he wants is something real—like a basic touch-and-go human experience. Nastenka’s not exactly a saint either. A decent-looking guy takes pity on her and she immediately throws herself at him, waits around for him to come back for a year, and then when he finally shows up she basically dumps the narrator right away. And the only reason she doesn’t end up with nothing is because the guy appears. The fact she was willing to just stick with the narrator if he never showed up feels like a terrible idea in every way, even before you consider the age gap. “I feel like I have known you forever” — girl, you’ve been stuck to your grandmother for ages, come on. The ending is what really gets me. The narrator ends up alone again, still not really wishing anything bad on her, because he’s still stuck in this “love” thing that’s half real and half fantasy. If the whole story was just that, I’d say it’s good but not super enlightening about people. But that last line… it’s so perfect it almost hurts. It doesn’t straight-up punish him for dreaming, and it doesn’t let him pretend he actually found the “love of his life.” It just lands right on that sad mix of self-awareness and self-delusion—like he knows it was a dream, but he’s still so lonely and low on confidence that even the smallest taste of “bliss” feels worth holding onto. “Good Lord! A whole minute of bliss! Why, isn't it enough, even for a lifetime?..” Anyway, sorry for the long ramble—I just finished it and had to say something before my brain moved on. Thanks for reading.

Dostoevsky's "The Idiot": Why is this considered a great book?

By TinyChapter

I’m honestly not sure why everyone calls this such a great book. I’m maybe 40% in and it’s not clicking for me at all. It could just be the translation—I got it on Amazon Prime for either free or like $2.99, so I don’t even remember—but even then, the story feels really chopped up. The characters will say or do something, and then out of nowhere they flip completely and act like they mean the total opposite. I’m not bothered by older-style writing or the vocabulary (I’m not struggling with the language). I know the dust jacket pretty much says everyone thinks The Prince is an idiot. I get that idea a bit, but I’m not really seeing him as good-natured either. And yeah, I can sort of tell the people around him are supposed to be morally empty, but I still haven’t come across anyone I’d call redeeming. Also, the male characters all seem to want Natasha, but…why? She’s just awful, and I don’t see anything redeeming in her. And The Prince doesn’t seem that great either. I’m about ready to quit this one. Am I missing something, or does it get better later?

Fyodor Dostoevsky For The First Time (Recommendations)

By VerseRagingly

Hey everyone, Quick question—I’ve been wondering what Dostoevsky book people usually recommend for someone who hasn’t read him before. I started with The Idiot years ago, but it was during a really stressful time for me mentally and emotionally, so I couldn’t really lock onto the ideas and themes the way I wanted to. That said, one part of it definitely stayed with me: the line about “Only beauty can save the world.” I saw it in the intro before I even got into the actual story, and it honestly hit me hard—like I felt the weight of what it meant for the book and for the author, too. I ended up pushing through even when things got kind of painfully slow for me. After I finished, I kept asking myself what “beauty” even means. I actually walked around my neighborhood at night for a while, just thinking about it. And I wrestled with that question for years—like three years—before I figured out what beauty looks like to me. For me, beauty is basically brotherhood. Like, a brother celebrates with you when you win, and your success is part of his joy. And he’s there with you when you’re falling apart—your suffering becomes his, too. I also feel like Christianity shows that really clearly, especially through the crucifixion and the whole idea of laying down his life not just for his followers, but for everyone. John 15:13 says something along the lines of there being no greater love than laying down your life for your friends. So even though I’m not sure I understood a lot of the book, it still made me wonder about something so basic for so long, and I don’t think that’s nothing. That’s why I’m not totally convinced The Idiot is the best starting point for Dostoevsky, but I also want to re-read it later now that I’d probably be in a better headspace. If I’m choosing between Crime and Punishment and Demons for someone who’s trying to get into Dostoevsky, which one feels like the better entry?

The Idiot: Wrap-Up Post [Spoilers for the whole book]

By heatherkey1989

The stuff below is just to get the conversation going—like, use it if you want, but toss in your own thoughts too. If there’s anything about the book you’ve got opinions on, feel free to jump in and talk about it. Discussion prompts: - Congrats on making it to the wrap-up post! So, what did you think of the book overall? - When you look back, what parts stood out the most? - Did anything stick with you after reading, like an idea or takeaway? - Which characters did you actually like the best, and why? - And which ones did you love to hate (or just straight-up dislike)? - Anything you really liked that you want to share? - Any complaints? Or stuff you’d change—actions, how things turned out, or even just cutting down on long speeches? - Was this your first time reading Dostoevsky? And would you read another one after this? - If you want, rate it or write a review—whatever feels easiest. - Anything else you want to discuss? *Meditations* by Marcus Aurelius starts this Monday. Hope to see you there.

Thoughts on 'The Idiot' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

By basil1976

I just wrapped up David McDuff’s Penguin Classics translation of *The Idiot* by Dostoyevsky. And honestly, right before that I read *The Brothers Karamazov* in the same translator/publisher and I was completely blown away by how huge that book is, but still somehow everything stays in control—like nothing feels thrown in, no random little aside, and every piece seems to matter for what comes later. So when I immediately jumped into *The Idiot*, I was a little disappointed at first, because it doesn’t feel as seamless. I usually don’t go hunting through extra notes or references while I’m reading, but after I finished, I ended up on Wikipedia. There are parts that basically say the whole “testing the main idea” thing made Dostoyevsky not always able to predict how the plot would go while he was writing, and that the novel has an awkward, kind of messy setup that critics have pointed out. Then it also talks about how the goal wasn’t just to bring a guy to goodness, but to take someone who’s already really compassionate and kind of “innocent,” and see what happens when that person is put up against the psychological/social/political mess of modern Russia—and the author has to let the characters react without knowing ahead of time how they’ll respond. Reading that, I was kind of like… okay, so that’s why it felt so cluttered and confusing on the page. Still, even with all that, it also makes sense in a way that feels very Dostoyevsky. Myshkin’s epilepsy lines up with traits Dostoyevsky himself had, and there’s even that death-penalty story detail where the guy ends up being pardoned at the last second—apparently something Dostoyevsky went through too. So yeah, it’s got problems, but if you know this going in (or at least don’t ignore it), I think the experience might be better. I’m trying to keep spoilers to a minimum. Happy reading.

Can't finish The Idiot by Dostoevsky

By Couplet-Yarn39

I’m about halfway through and I’m honestly not sure what the plot is even supposed to be. A lot of the time the characters just keep talking about things, and sometimes I’ll be reading and think, “wait… what are they talking about?” I don’t know if it’s a translation issue, but I picked this one because it’s supposed to be the best. I had no trouble getting through Crime and Punishment, and that’s still one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s been like two months since my last chapter, and I can’t really bring myself to go on. I’m reading Mistborn on the side (I’m on book two) and I’m loving it, but I really want to finish The Idiot so I can jump into The Brothers Karamazov, which if nothing else seems to be one of Dostoevsky’s best according to reviews. So… does it actually get better? Is it worth sticking with? I don’t want to abandon it halfway, but forcing myself through something I’m not enjoying is tough.

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

By KindSparrow

I’m not really a big reader, so I’m trying to change that in 2024, and this was my first Russian novel. Also, wow—this is the longest book I’ve ever read. I took me 18 days, doing around 40–50 pages a day, so like 2–3 hours for me each time. Overall I really enjoyed *The Idiot*. It was good and sometimes genuinely funny, but it was also a bit of a headache at points. Because I didn’t grow up reading Russian stuff, I kept getting tangled up in the names and figuring out who everyone was and how they were related. It didn’t help that married women and daughters get called different names than what you’d expect for their husbands/parents. It wasn’t a huge deal with the Yepanchins, but whenever people came back after being away it would get confusing for me. The funniest bits for me were some of the train stuff going to St Petersburg—people getting fed up with the “know alls.” Ippolit (I think it was him) roasting “The General” was honestly hilarious. And Lizaveta getting aggressive throughout the book had me laughing too. At the start I didn’t like Nastasya Filippovna at all—I thought she came off super stuck up. But later you learn what she went through, and then she’s got these guys fighting over her and trying to buy her attention, which she seems to think is ridiculous. She even throws the money bag into the fire, and yeah, it feels like the prince pities her, but she’s fully aware it’ll only end badly for him. I liked Aglaya, and I felt bad for her by the end. I was hoping the prince and Aglaya would end up together, happily ever after, but he’s so stuck on pitying Nastasya that he doesn’t really show the kind of “knight” energy Aglaya wants. It feels like she’s constantly humiliating him in public to push him, and he just lets it happen, which I think makes her feel even more into him—like she keeps trying to make him finally choose her. People describe it like a daytime soap opera, and I can see the surface stuff, but I think there’s more going on when you look at the characters closely. There’s depth and even some mystery, and it was also just fun being in that wealthy 19th century world and seeing how shallow some of them can be. One thing that bothered me though: the back cover blurb felt misleading. It kind of ruined the ending for me because it says something like the Prince gets involved in a love triangle, blackmail, and ultimately murder—except that murder doesn’t happen until the last 10 pages. I kept waiting the whole time for it, like “okay but when is it actually happening?” And I honestly don’t remember what the blackmail even was, or if I missed it. I’ve already bought *Crime and Punishment* because I liked Dostoyevsky’s writing, but I’m gonna read something smaller first before I tackle it.

The Idiot by Dostoevsky

By Lazy_Velvet39362

Just wrapped this up, and I’ve read both *Crime and Punishment* and *The Brothers Karamazov* too, so I feel like I totally missed whatever this one was trying to do. It took me longer than the others, and I had a couple different books between, but the only real takeaway I got was that the prince is kind of meant to be Christ-like… and then everything ugly in the world just crushes him. I’m sure I’m not seeing the full picture—does anyone know what I should’ve been picking up?

I have a question about 'The Idiot' by Dostoevsky.

By TurtleBrook

I’m about halfway through and I’m honestly getting pretty overwhelmed. I’ve read other Russian stuff (even C&P), but I’ve never had to struggle this much with the names and who’s who. I had to stop after the part with Prince Shch. answering in that dry way and then Prince Lev Nikolaevich just kind of staring at him while nothing gets explained. From what I can tell, this bit involves like 2 or 3 princes, and I can’t figure out how they connect—none of them seem to be Prince Myskin. And Prince Shch. feels like he just appears out of nowhere with no setup, unless the book suddenly swapped names and that’s supposed to be the regular “Idiot” prince. Does anyone know of a handy online guide/road map for this that won’t spoil major plot points? I’m worried that if I keep getting more confused about who’s doing what and why, I’m going to lose the thread and end up quitting.

What are you reading?

By Mirror_Late

Alright, time for another “what are you reading?” question thread. So, what have you been reading lately? What part did you actually enjoy? And would you tell someone else to pick it up?

The Idiot (me)

By ShelfHeron6057

Okay so I’m a little tipsy right now and I’m reading *The Idiot* by Dostoyevsky, which feels kind of funny/embarrassing because I’m literally probably acting like an idiot asking this, but… I’ve gone back to part 2, chapter 2 (the David McDuff translation) like three times and I still cannot tell what’s going on. Like—who even is Lebedev? Why is the prince hanging around there? And why does it jump straight to those people right after they come back from Moscow? Am I just not getting it because I’m drunk? I might honestly stop drinking, but I don’t wanna wait until I’m sober to understand. Can someone please tell me what’s happening without spoiling anything too far ahead? Thanks, I appreciate it.

The Idiot: Part 1 Chapter 15 discussion

By Superuser

The schedule’s probably going to be a little off for the next week. The next couple chapters should be up over the weekend, and then we’re going to pause everything to show support for the protests against the proposed API changes to Reddit. I’m also kinda curious about that whole room reaction when Rogojin (plus that wild bunch) shows up—like, does it feel like Natasya planned it, or was everyone just reacting on instinct? And what did you think about his companions? Also, he actually got the money—were you surprised he pulled it off? Natasya’s whole speech about how the men value her is… something, and then she says she doesn’t really deserve an honest family, which is a weird way to put it. And then with Totski—how is Natasya back in the picture? It’s like she was his mistress for years, and now he wants to marry her off after she turned him down. The Prince offering to marry her was a shock though. Did it come off sincere, or more like another play? Oh, and did anyone else forget about that earlier letter? Apparently the Prince’s about to get a pretty big inheritance, which explains a lot, I guess.

Is the novel "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky any good ?

By Coin_Story70

I’m about to go on a trip and I’ll have a ton of free time—would it be worth reading?