The Idiot (novel)
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The Idiot is a novel written by the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1869.
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Pevear and Volokhonsky translation of The Idiot
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Translations to English
Since The Idiot was first published in Russian, there have been a number of translations to English over the years, including those by:
The "Constance Garnett" translation has for many years been accepted as the definitive English translation, but more recently it has come under criticism for being prudish, archaic and making very little use of idiom. Some writers, such as Anna Brailovsky have based their translations on Garnett's. Since the 1990s new English translations have appeared that have brought life to The Idiot, making it more accessible to English readers. The "David McDuff" and the "Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky" translations in particular have been well received.
Plot
Prince Lyov Nikolaievich Myshkin returns to Russia after a long absence. His mental condition is unclear: as a youth, he was prone to blackouts and learning difficulties. These were treated with some success in Switzerland, but much of what Russian society views as idiocy is simply honesty and trustfulness. The Myshkin family line is said to end with him and his cousin.
On the train to Saint Petersburg, Myshkin meets and befriends the dark and impassioned Rogozhin. The latter tells the prince about his passion for Nastassya Filipovna, a beautiful woman with a bad reputation. Myshkin arrives at the house of General Yepantchin, who is married to the only other living member of the Myshkin line. Myshkin learns that Ganya, a young go-getter and secretary of the General, wants to marry Nastassya for her dowry. The prince feels an irresistible desire to meet her.
At Nastassya's name-day party, Myshkin sees Rogozhin arrive drunk and offer the young woman a large amount of money to follow him. The prince perceives the despair of Nastassya and proposes to her in order to save her. She, believing the prince's offer stems only from pity, flees with Rogozhin.
The two men, formerly bound by friendship, become rivals. Rogozhin even tries to kill his friend.
Over the course of the novel, Myshkin grows closer to the General's daughter, Aglaya, but he eventually gives her up to save Nastassya. On the day of the marriage, however, Nastassya again flees with Rogozhin, who then kills her.
The novel ends with Myshkin and Rogozhin lying together by the body of Nastassya: Myshkin sinks into total insanity; Rogozhin is sentenced to labor in Siberia; and Aglaya rushes into an unhappy marriage.
By making Myshkin a paragon of kindness and humility, Dostoyevsky shows what can happen when such a man is confronted by society.
Themes
The Idiot was written after Dostoevsky's conversion to a conservative, nationalistic branch of Christianity and reflects that belief system. Myshkin's Christian goodness is constantly contrasted to Rogozhin's evil. Furthermore, Myshkin will sometimes rant against the debilitating effects of Jews and Catholics on the Russian state.
Adaptations
In 2003 Russian State Television produced a 10-hour TV-series of the work, which earned very high ratings. Some critics said it was a good sign that an ideal of a positively beautiful person found such acclaim from the Russian public. See The Idiot (TV series). Several filmmakers have filmed the novel, among them Akira Kurosawa.
External links
- The Idiot - full text (http://dostoyevsky.thefreelibrary.com/The-Idiot)
- Template:Gutenberg
- Full text of The Idiot in the original Russian (http://ilibrary.ru/text/94/p.1/)da:Idioten