Dostoevsky in Love: An Intimate Life
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- Create Date：2021-04-17 12:50:59
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- Author：Alex Christofi
- ISBN：1472964691
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Summary
Dostoevsky's life was marked by brilliance and brutality。 Sentenced to death as a young revolutionary， he survived mock execution and Siberian exile to live through a time of seismic change in Russia， eventually being accepted into the Tsar's inner circle。 He had three great love affairs， each overshadowed by debilitating epilepsy and addiction to gambling。 Somehow， amidst all this， he found time to write short stories， journalism and novels such as Crime and Punishment， The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov， works now recognised as among the finest ever written。
In Dostoevsky in Love Alex Christofi weaves carefully chosen excerpts of the author's work with the historical context to form an illuminating and often surprising whole。 The result is a novelistic life that immerses the reader in a grand vista of Dostoevsky's world: from the Siberian prison camp to the gambling halls of Europe; from the dank prison cells of the Tsar's fortress to the refined salons of St Petersburg。 Along the way， Christofi relates the stories of the three women whose lives were so deeply intertwined with Dostoevsky's: the consumptive widow Maria; the impetuous Polina who had visions of assassinating the Tsar; and the faithful stenographer Anna， who did so much to secure his literary legacy。
Reading between the lines of his fiction， Christofi reconstructs the memoir Dostoevsky might have written had life - and literary stardom - not intervened。 He gives us a new portrait of the artist as never before seen: a shy but devoted lover， an empathetic friend of the people， a loyal brother and friend， and a writer able to penetrate to the very depths of the human soul。
In Dostoevsky in Love Alex Christofi weaves carefully chosen excerpts of the author's work with the historical context to form an illuminating and often surprising whole。 The result is a novelistic life that immerses the reader in a grand vista of Dostoevsky's world: from the Siberian prison camp to the gambling halls of Europe; from the dank prison cells of the Tsar's fortress to the refined salons of St Petersburg。 Along the way， Christofi relates the stories of the three women whose lives were so deeply intertwined with Dostoevsky's: the consumptive widow Maria; the impetuous Polina who had visions of assassinating the Tsar; and the faithful stenographer Anna， who did so much to secure his literary legacy。
Reading between the lines of his fiction， Christofi reconstructs the memoir Dostoevsky might have written had life - and literary stardom - not intervened。 He gives us a new portrait of the artist as never before seen: a shy but devoted lover， an empathetic friend of the people， a loyal brother and friend， and a writer able to penetrate to the very depths of the human soul。
Reviews
Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev
，
A well-written book—part-novel， part-biography—that covered the basics of Dostoevsky’s life。 It was intended to be read as a kind of novel， which made the reading experience a delight。
Alex Bukarski
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занимливо е опишан животот на достоевски， но， чуму потреба од ваква книга， ако се земе во предвид дека автобиографското се чувствува во неговите романи。 не читајте биографии на писателите， читајте ги нивните романи или евентуално критички реинтрепретации。
Antenna
，
Dostoevsky did not live to complete his intended autobiography， but Alex Christofi has done both him and us a great service in this daringly original fictionalised biography， based on meticulous research， which skilfully weaves in Dostoevsky’s own words， printed in italics。 It seems as if many of the quotations are taken from a piece of fiction， but applied here with astonishing aptness。 Despite revealing Dostoevsky’s many flaws， literally warts and all， the author succeeds overall in painting h Dostoevsky did not live to complete his intended autobiography， but Alex Christofi has done both him and us a great service in this daringly original fictionalised biography， based on meticulous research， which skilfully weaves in Dostoevsky’s own words， printed in italics。 It seems as if many of the quotations are taken from a piece of fiction， but applied here with astonishing aptness。 Despite revealing Dostoevsky’s many flaws， literally warts and all， the author succeeds overall in painting him in a sympathetic light。The dramatic hook of a prologue， largely in these italics， presents what Dostoevsky believed would be his final thoughts in December 1849 during the last moments before execution by firing squad for involvement in a group which had acquired a printing press to organise a coup against the Tsar。 “The most terrible part of the punishment is…the certainty…that in half a minute your soul will quit your body and you will no longer be a man”。Reprieved but sentenced to four years of hard labour in Siberia， at first “broken by the monstrous strangeness”， he began to absorb every impression of his new world， even questioning fellow convicts about what it felt like to receive more than 500 lashes: “But I could not get a satisfactory answer…it scorches like fire， as though your back were being roasted”。 The prison hospital was the only place where he could record all this on smuggled paper。Although I have only read “Crime and Punishment”， it was fascinating to see how much of it is drawn from his own thoughts and experiences。 Dostoevsky practised his belief that a great writer needs to suffer。 The circumstances of his early life were tragic enough。 The small country estate awarded to his father for “zealous service” as a doctor was burned down。 His mother died of TB when he was fifteen。 Driven to drink， his father was found dead in a ditch， possibly murdered by a disaffected serf。Perhaps his worst misfortune was debilitating epilepsy which repelled his first wife Maria， and made it increasingly difficult for him to work in later life: “As a result of the falling sickness。。I have forgotten the plots of my novels。 I do remember the general outline of my life。” Yet he even found something positive in his first full fit。 “The sense of life， the consciousness of self， were multiplied ten times in that lightning strike…。 My mind and heart…flooded with extraordinary light… all unease…。。anxieties…。 submerged in a lofty calm…serene harmony， joy and hope”。 The next part was of course “unendurable”。The serious gambling addiction which should have destroyed his second marriage to Anna， but for her at times inexplicable love， makes painful reading。 Christofi gives us blow by blow accounts of the cycle of Dostoevsky borrowing yet more money to win initially， fail to quit， lose the lot， pawn his watch， pawn Anna’s jewelry， lose some more and lack the funds to return from the fatal attraction of the German casinos to Russia where such gambling was not allowed。 Apart from his obsession with finding the formula “to overcome the crudity of blind chance and win” the money he needed to be free to write without continual worries over debts – he was not a rich landowner like Tolstoy or Turgenev - he admits to deriving “acute enjoyment” from the risk of gambling “at the cost of torture” in the process。With acute self awareness， he had a character confess how an “exceptionally shameful position， some more than usually humiliating， despicable and， above all， ridiculous situation always aroused in me not only boundless anger but …。an incredible sense of pleasure， an intoxication…。。from the agonising awareness of my own depravity。 I confess that I often sought it out because for me it was the most powerful of all such sensations。”Sensitive and romantic， too quick to propose， appeared Dostoevsky easily obsessed with the idea of love rather than the woman concerned。 Maria， at first unobtainable because she was married， and reluctant to wed him when she was widowed because he was by then a low-ranking soldier， seemed to lose her appeal once she became his wife， her bitterness no doubt fed by his neglect。 Did he become infatuated with the beautiful， intelligent student Polina because she strung him along so tantalisingly？ If he had been prepared to leave his dying wife for her， would his love for Polina have evaporated in turn？ Even during his second loving marriage to the highly supportive and collaborative Anna who also proved to have a sharp business sense， despite a deep love for their children， with the single-mindness of a creative artist， his work came first。 His routine was to sleep every morning in order to write through the night without interruption。Criticised by former colleagues for attacking the nihilism of the next generation of rebels， briefly editing a journal regarded as arch-conservative， Dostoevsky was in fact an independent thinker whose ideas evolved over time， “chopped and changed” in the unceasing attempt to communicate them。 Having developed a strong religious sense during his imprisonment， he observed that “if someone succeeded in proving to me that Christ wasn’t real， I would rather stay with Christ than with the truth”。Dostoevsky crammed a wealth of diverse experience into his fifty-six years。 He managed to regain and surpass his early success as a writer so that， by the end， Victor Hugo was inviting him to a prestigious conference in Paris， the Tsar was demanding a copy of his latest book and his speech in celebration of Pushkin was met with an extraordinary emotional ovation， and a laurel wreath a metre-and-a-half wide。 。。。more
Rajeev Dutta
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I both received and finished it today。 If you want to find a standard biography， open your mind （or look elsewhere if that is impossible）。 Dostoevsky's life couldn't be bound by rigid categorization， so it would be foolish to think an account of his life could be， either。 Remarkable–five stars， without reservation。 I both received and finished it today。 If you want to find a standard biography， open your mind （or look elsewhere if that is impossible）。 Dostoevsky's life couldn't be bound by rigid categorization， so it would be foolish to think an account of his life could be， either。 Remarkable–five stars， without reservation。 。。。more
Cathy Carpenter
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An interesting and brief account of Dostoevsky's personal life。 It helps me better appreciate his work knowing the context into which it was written。 An interesting and brief account of Dostoevsky's personal life。 It helps me better appreciate his work knowing the context into which it was written。 。。。more
Lolly K Dandeneau
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via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏。 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒆， 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆！ 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔， 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍， 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆。Alex Christofi has written an intimate portrait of Fyodor Dostoevsky， one that beautifully connects his personal life with his great work。 He wrote his way through， if not out， of personal tragedies。 The pen seemed to be at ready to spil via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog。wordpress。com/𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏。 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒆， 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆！ 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓， 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔， 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍， 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆。Alex Christofi has written an intimate portrait of Fyodor Dostoevsky， one that beautifully connects his personal life with his great work。 He wrote his way through， if not out， of personal tragedies。 The pen seemed to be at ready to spill each fresh misery that cropped up during his many trials and tribulations， be they born from the seed of love or politics。 A man who used even his mock execution during his brutal imprisonment to write a semi-autobiographical novel about the inmates in a Siberian prison camp。 Dostoevsky’s writing always seemed to flow from what he was confronted by in life。 There was an untold amount of tragedy， some at fate’s mysterious hands but often， like all of us， by his own making。 Gambling， poor choices of the heart， deaths， illness- so much plagued our dear author from his earliest loss， that of his mother。 Without question， his health influenced his work and was in and of itself a curious thing， epilepsy。 So little understood about it during his lifetime， how can it not have affected Fyodor’s thoughts， creativity？ Make him question his very mortality？The phases of his life from childhood to his dying day， the people dear to him as much as those he resented， the pleasures and disturbances of his very existence， all of it found a way into his fiction and， as Christofi points out within these pages， made for autobiographical work。 Dostoevsky didn’t need to leave behind memoirs， for he was present in everything he wrote。 He pinned human behavior as no other， from the foolish to the profound， and that is why even today the wisdom of his words reaches many readers’ souls。 He suffered， lord he suffered like no other。 He was contrary， he pursued his desperate wants only to later reflect with keen perception how we never seem to be satisfied with attainment， that the rush is in the chase。 He understood humiliation， the misery of insult， the imbalance of class， the madness of politics， the contrary nature of man， and he penetrated the very heart of every emotion that can be born of any situation and was able to express it through characters。 Alex Christofi writes beautifully of the author I felt I was observing for an entire lifetime， one who is both grand and small。This book is far less static than other biographical accounts of Dostoevsky， it is factual but with fictional breezes of Fyodor’s writing blowing through。 Fyodor isn’t the only person brought to life， all too often when a historical figure is written about， the people surrounding them fall flat。 Not here！ The women that he loved， who caused him desire so strong he trembled， pulse with life， even when fading from their own story as consumptive Maria。 Polina is the fire， the wildcard and would be assassin， a woman he can’t help but draw close and cling to， despite the burn。 Later it is the young Anna， his stenographer who he falls in love with and uses a story to tell her of his love for her。 Anna becomes his dearly devoted second wife and mother to his children， sticking by him despite his debts， gambling addictions， the crippling loss of their two children and severe illness。 Anna is a beacon to his troubled soul， and their love story as great as anything he has written。 She is the one who carries on his legacy， what does a man do to deserve such a faithful， intelligent partner？I wasn’t expecting to be as deeply engaged as I was。 You don’t need to be familiar with Dostoevsky to enjoy the read but certainly a book any fan would enjoy。 Every person in his orbit is humanized。 Beautifully written， the connections， the facts， the emotions， the timeline- it’s quite the journey。 Yes， read it。Publication Date: March 23， 2021Bloomsbury USA 。。。more
Thomas
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I've started into Joseph Frank's biography a few times and never quite developed the momentum to get all the way through （and by "all the way through" I mean past the first 45 pages 。。。）。 This book is lively， engaging - weaving together Dostoevsky's own work and words with a contemporary novelist's eye （Christofi's previous books were both novels）。 Dostoevsky keeps the best lines， which is as it should be。 A more academic reader will find aspects to quibble with （but it isn't aimed at them）， and I've started into Joseph Frank's biography a few times and never quite developed the momentum to get all the way through （and by "all the way through" I mean past the first 45 pages 。。。）。 This book is lively， engaging - weaving together Dostoevsky's own work and words with a contemporary novelist's eye （Christofi's previous books were both novels）。 Dostoevsky keeps the best lines， which is as it should be。 A more academic reader will find aspects to quibble with （but it isn't aimed at them）， and especially towards the end I felt like some details started dropping out （I'm still confused， for example， where the money started coming from， and where all the hangers-on disappeared to 。。。 did Anna just scare them off？）， but overall， I quite enjoyed it。 。。。more
Michelle Hogmire
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Thanks to Bloomsbury for an advance galley of this title， which came out on Jan 26， 2021‐‐Fyodor Dostoevsky's life was so wild that it's surprising he managed to write anything at all， let alone some of the greatest novels of all time。 After suffering the early death of his parents and his family's impoverishment， Dostoevsky made a splash in the notoriously gatekeep‐y Russian literary scene at a young age‐‐only to have this praise quickly ripped away and replaced with harsh criticism。 Dostoevsky Thanks to Bloomsbury for an advance galley of this title， which came out on Jan 26， 2021‐‐Fyodor Dostoevsky's life was so wild that it's surprising he managed to write anything at all， let alone some of the greatest novels of all time。 After suffering the early death of his parents and his family's impoverishment， Dostoevsky made a splash in the notoriously gatekeep‐y Russian literary scene at a young age‐‐only to have this praise quickly ripped away and replaced with harsh criticism。 Dostoevsky then threw himself into leftist political activity as a way to cope; he was shortly imprisoned， sentenced to death by firing squad， but survived when the decision was overturned， and instead landed in a Siberian labor camp。 The remainder of Dostoevsky's life was marked by both genius writing and incredible suffering: his epilepsy kept him perpetually sick， his gambling addiction kept him perpetually poor， and his standing as a great of Russian letters continued to waffle until just before his death。 Alex Christofi's creative and innovative work "Dostoevsky in Love: An Intimate Life" tracks all these events in connection to Fyodor's three most prominent romantic relationships。 He met his first wife， Maria， while still in exile; she was suffering from tuberculosis when they met， so their partnership was essentially doomed from the start， with Dostoevsky's health problems exacerbating an already difficult situation。 He gallivanted around Europe with his second love， Polina， a reckless and rash young woman who he never ended up marrying。 Finally comes his second wife Anna， who helped prepare her husband's dictated writing， showed endless toleration for Fyodor's many foibles and faults， and continued to be an enormous champion of Dostoevsky's work long after he passed away。 The real draw to this book is Christofi's formatting， which bucks the traditional academic biography。 Christofi combines factual material from Dostoevsky's life， like the contents of diaries and letters， with pieces of his fictional work‐‐forming a blended， hybrid narrative that directly depicts the way Fyodor's world influenced his writing。 We know that Dostoevsky planned to write an autobiography/memoir， but he didn't get around to it before his death。 In all its candidness， Christofi's book might be the closest we'll ever get。 。。。more
Ivar Dale
，
Excellent place to start if you haven't read any biography of Dostoevsky before - and a great read even if you have， because it's well told and because the story of Dostoevsky's life in itself is so incredibly gripping。 Excellent place to start if you haven't read any biography of Dostoevsky before - and a great read even if you have， because it's well told and because the story of Dostoevsky's life in itself is so incredibly gripping。 。。。more
Julie Stielstra
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* Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review *After 8 months in prison， a group of young men sentenced to death for sharing “treasonous” literature is marched into a wintry square。 The first three men are blindfolded and tied to posts， as the next group looks on。 At that moment， a messenger arrives， commuting their sentences to prison in Siberia – all personally orchestrated by the Tsar of Russia for maximum drama。 One of the second three was the 28-year-old Fyodor Dostoevsky， * Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review *After 8 months in prison， a group of young men sentenced to death for sharing “treasonous” literature is marched into a wintry square。 The first three men are blindfolded and tied to posts， as the next group looks on。 At that moment， a messenger arrives， commuting their sentences to prison in Siberia – all personally orchestrated by the Tsar of Russia for maximum drama。 One of the second three was the 28-year-old Fyodor Dostoevsky， a struggling writer。 I recall vividly when I first read about this moment， an awestruck high school student， devouring every word Dostoevsky ever wrote。 The idea of looking directly into the face of death was made appallingly real for the first time to one healthy， typical teenager。 I couldn’t talk about it for days。Alex Christofi’s biography opens with this scene。 Christofi – a former literary agent， then editor， and novelist - blends superbly-chosen passages from letters， quotes， remembered conversations， and several different Dostoevsky novels: one of the most dramatic moments in literary history， as crafted by one of its giants – with a little editing。Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky: philosopher and early psychologist。 Writer of long， impassioned， complicated， argumentative， political novels – dark， dour， serious… humorless？ And all those Russian names！ Didn’t Joseph Frank pretty much say everything that could be said in his monumental 5-volume biography？ Christofi has staked out a very specific territory – Dostoevsky’s love life， in various meanings of that phrase – and does it in an unusual， creative， and largely successful way。Christofi lets you know upfront what he’s about: “This book…cheerfully commits an academic fallacy。” As demonstrated in the opening scene， he combines elements of straight biography， and weaves into it recorded or remembered conversations， letters， and Dostoevsky’s own writings “in the hope of creating the effect of a reconstructed memoir。” （p。 xiii） If it’s in quotes， the speaker actually said it。 Italics signal a passage from Dostoevsky’s writing。 Christofi binds it all together with his own voiceover， and admits to compressing， editing， abridging， and otherwise making it neat。 It takes a little getting used to。 “Cheerful” aptly describes Christofi’s tone throughout。 He loves a quip。 He depicts Dostoevsky’s childhood home， with seven children crammed into a little apartment， behind partitions， on the couch， and “little ones strewn around their parents’ bedroom as a traditional prophylactic。” （p。 5） After months of work， Dostoevsky desperately seeks a place to publish his first novel。 Christofi blithely remarks how he “considered the options （self-publish it， throw himself into the Neva， etc。）。” （p。 20） Dostoevsky， with his solemn， nervous demeanor， was often teased by his more happy-go-lucky friends， who tried to fix him up with a young woman。 Christofi comments that “Fyodor…sadly failed to capitalise on this opportunity for a flirtation by losing consciousness and falling to the floor。” （p。 26） This borders on cruelty， about a man whose life was wracked by epilepsy。 Not to malign literary agents， but perhaps there is a predilection towards what will entertain， what will “hook” a reader， what might raise a smile， versus what might be better suited to the subject。 While his footnote debunking the apocryphal “when Dostoevsky met Dickens” anecdote is crisp， funny， and convincing， other footnotes can ramble a bit farther afield than necessary。How did Dostoevsky love？ Much of the focus is on his mostly painful series of romantic relationships: a dismissal because he is too poor， a change of heart when he gets a raise， then appalled rejection when he has a grand mal seizure on their wedding night （in his own delicious phrase: “The black cat ran between us。”）。 A self-abasing pursuit of an unstable， manipulative young woman who is in love with someone else。 Impulsive proposals to women he barely knew， including one who was nursing her terminally-ill husband。 It is a litany of misery。 Then he meets Anna， the young stenographer who helps him get his novel The Gambler into shape。 Christofi promises in his introduction that Dostoevsky’s “bashful” proposal to her will make you “[want] to hug him。” Instead， it’s strange， oblique， and more than a little guileful – but you can’t say Anna doesn’t know what she’s getting into。 For once， he is in love with someone honorable and loyal。 Broke and rootless， they wander through Europe’s spa towns， and Dostoevsky’s gambling addiction explodes。 Every ducat and thaler won and lost， every item pawned （including Anna’s wedding ring， more than once）， every tear-stained confession and bestowal of forgiveness are detailed。 It is a long， sordid section to read。 After the birth of their second daughter， he finally swears off the roulette wheel… Germany closed its gambling halls about this time， which doubtless helped。 And all the while， he is writing。 At one point， working on The Devils， he poignantly comments: “If I had two or three years of support for the novel， the way Turgenev， Goncharov or Tolstoy do， I would write the sort of thing people would still be talking about in a hundred years。” （p。 159） I hope he knows we still do。Now devotedly married， other kinds of love take Dostoevsky by storm。 He is staggered by his terrible love for their children。 But their baby daughter dies of pneumonia， and his youngest son dies horribly of a massive seizure at the age of three。 （A seizure。 Imagine the heartbreak of the father。） He is supporting his stepson from that first blighted marriage， a thankless and expensive task， but one he feels he owes out of charity and family obligation。 His religiosity grows， with a passionate devotion to Christ and his message of unlimited， unselfish love of one’s fellows as the only possible salvation from human suffering。 He is working on the massive Brothers Karamazov， cramming everything he has ever thought， pondered， loved， and felt into one enormous story。 His seizures worsen。 Modern neuroscientists have examined what we can glean of his seizure disorder， and some have suggested temporal lobe epilepsy or Geschwind syndrome。 This can manifest as hypergraphia （a compulsion to write）， hyper-religiosity， and extreme emotional states， or ecstasies – St。 Theresa of Avila showed similar behaviors。 It would have been interesting if Christofi had explored this possible contribution Dostoevsky’s emotional and mental states。 Back to that teenager I once was， thrilled by the angst， desperation， heroism， and suffering of Raskolnikov， Myshkin， the Karamazovs and the rest。 I can still read Crime & Punishment with awe and affection， but when I went back to Karamazov in middle age， I found the endless hand-wringing and moaning Just Too Much。 “Get a grip！” I wanted to shout at them。 Dostoevsky’s years of ill-chosen， ill-conducted， impulsive affairs （financial and emotional）， can produce sighs of woe， pity， disbelief， and impatience。 But Dostoevsky himself noted that when he first fell in love （in his mid-thirties， after 8 years in prison and the military）， “I was happy， and I couldn’t [write]。” （p。 60） Oh， Fyodor…But at last… six months before his death， Dostoevsky is invited to address a gathering to honor the poet Pushkin。 He enraptured the crowd， extolling the power of brotherly love， and choosing to suffer oneself rather than cause anyone else to suffer。 The audience cheered， clapped， wept， mobbed him， wouldn’t let him leave。 At last。 At last。 Flooded with the love he had sought so long。There are occasional lapses in tone。 Christofi’s prose sometimes jars when rubbing up against Dostoevsky’s， as it does throughout this tapestry he has woven， but also highlights the glories of Dostoevsky’s own words。 The best of this book may be to turn a reader back to Dostoevsky， with a fuller picture of the heart of the writer。 I may even take another crack at Karamazov。juliestielstra。com 。。。more
Novelle Novels
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5 out 5 starsThis is such a great book on fydor Dostoevsky which follows him for his life showing his highs and lows and everything that made him the author that he become。 I found it really interesting to see whet hardships made him write the way he did。 What made him more special for me was to see the softer sides to him as that helped him become more rounded。 I now want to read more books by Dostoevsky and definitely find him someone I want to learn more about。
Paul Fulcher
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Anyone who reads my Goodreads reviews will know I am no fan of overly long books。 So I was delighted when， one year ago， author Alex Christofi announced “I am the book murderer”， an accusation that he attracted for his unconventional， but to me entirely understandable approach to reading large tomes， by literally tearing the book into manageable chunks。One of the books featured in the accompanying illustration was Joseph Frank’s biography of Doestevsky’s， a volume that itself was a mere 984 page Anyone who reads my Goodreads reviews will know I am no fan of overly long books。 So I was delighted when， one year ago， author Alex Christofi announced “I am the book murderer”， an accusation that he attracted for his unconventional， but to me entirely understandable approach to reading large tomes， by literally tearing the book into manageable chunks。One of the books featured in the accompanying illustration was Joseph Frank’s biography of Doestevsky’s， a volume that itself was a mere 984 page ‘condensed’ version of the 2500 page multi-volume original:Christofi has praised Frank’s work， if not its physical manifestation， but in Dostoevsky in Love: An Intimate Life he presents us with a much more manageable （c。 200 pages） and innovative approach to the life of an author， who， as James Joyce said， was he “more than any other who has created modern prose， and intensified it to its present-day pitch。 It was his explosive power which shattered the Victorian novel with its simpering maidens and ordered commonplaces; books which were without imagination or violence”。Chrisofi explains his approach to Doestevsky’s life story:“Undoubtedly his most powerful writing was drawn from his lived experience， whether recounting the quasi-mystical experience of an epileptic fit in The Idiot or hard labour in a Siberian prison in Notes from the House of the Dead。 This book therefore cheerfully commits an academic fallacy， which is to elide Dostoevsky’s autobiographical fiction with his fantastical life in the hope of creating the effect of a reconstructed memoir。 （The fact is， this is neither a story nor a memoir。）” Sitting between Frank’s “wonderful five-volume intellectual biography” and the novelistic approach of Leonid Tsypkin （‘Summer in Baden-Baden’ in the translation by Roger and Angela Keys） and Coetzee （‘The Master of Petersburg’）:“My aim is to explore whether a synthesis is possible – a tale both novelistic and true to life， representing Dostoevsky in his own words。 Because Dostoevsky’s overarching project was to understand how people thought – the sometimes maddening ways we explain and deceive ourselves – and to represent that thought faithfully so that others might know themselves better。”He does so my not only following Doestevsky’s life in parallel with his work， but by using the author’s own words， sometimes directly quoted， but more often re-written in the intimate first person as his thoughts by using material from his letters， notebooks， journalism， and， most effectively， his fiction。It makes for a fascinating read - as does Doestevsky’s own passionate， dramatic， religiously- fervent and gambling-addicted life。 As a couple of minor gripes:In such a compact， non-academic work and one centered on the author’s own words， there was an overuse of irrelevant footnotes （such as Somerset Maugham’s words on when authors are hailed as prophets， or the well-rehearsed joke about the different names of St Petersburg）。And， the detail of Dostevesky’s gambling habits got a little repetitive。 It was clearly key to his life， and it was necessary to make that clear via repetition， but it didn’t really need the detailed enumeration of his daily or even hourly wins and losses on each spree。Nevertheless， recommended。 4 stars。Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Nance
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Read straight through I reserve five star reviews for books that I feel rival Dostoevsky。 His works have long been what I compare all other literature to when assessing its quality。 So， it seems fitting to give this wonderful biography of Dostoevsky five stars。 It has been less than 24 hours since I discovered it exists and I have finished reading it。 It is written with both love and scholarship。 Of note - I discovered this book because of a screenshot of a tweet about the author’s habit of vici Read straight through I reserve five star reviews for books that I feel rival Dostoevsky。 His works have long been what I compare all other literature to when assessing its quality。 So， it seems fitting to give this wonderful biography of Dostoevsky five stars。 It has been less than 24 hours since I discovered it exists and I have finished reading it。 It is written with both love and scholarship。 Of note - I discovered this book because of a screenshot of a tweet about the author’s habit of viciously cutting long books in half to make them easier to carry around。 I wanted to comment on the original and went to Twitter to find the account of this book abuser。 I was highly amused to find that he was not only an author but had just published a biography of Dostoevsky - the author of one of the three books in the picture of his halved tomes。 The irony of it all was too much and I had to get the book - which I did on Kindle as that makes carrying any book around much easier！ 。。。more
Moon Rose
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Life within the novels， novels that sum up the reality of one life。 Life that is proliferated by both the fictional and the not so fictional。 Their imagery ceaselessly converging and simmering in the cauldron of his mind。 But is there any fiction that is somewhat not based from non-fiction？ Isn't all life as such？ Fiction in one sense and non-fiction in its true sense？ Are'nt we all the unconscious writers of our own lives？ Creating our own specific role to mark our part and fully experience the Life within the novels， novels that sum up the reality of one life。 Life that is proliferated by both the fictional and the not so fictional。 Their imagery ceaselessly converging and simmering in the cauldron of his mind。 But is there any fiction that is somewhat not based from non-fiction？ Isn't all life as such？ Fiction in one sense and non-fiction in its true sense？ Are'nt we all the unconscious writers of our own lives？ Creating our own specific role to mark our part and fully experience the great drama of life？That is why the best way to know a person is through his stories， or the unravelling of his personal story and the best way to penetrate his character （if it's possible） is to discern the psychological machinations behind it that animates the semi-fiction of his life with the force of reality invisibly withdrawn from mere sightWhat does it mean？ In a sense though， truth or the so called quest of truth is similarly obtained， or rather more accurately in reality unobtainable in its totality because parts it will always remain hidden and what we can only visibly see is the conspicuous "portions" of it。 These portions serve as slices subject to "interpretations" that we can gather to have a full glimpse it with the entire whole remaining inveterately elusive。 Every life is a mystery。 Every mystery is truth hidden in every story of every life。 Unearthing portions of this life serve as a glimpse， a glimpse of truth into the mystery that governs all of life。Concurrently， this is what Alex Christofi utilizes to unravel the truth from the life and times of a man， whose searing prose， letters and insights are glimpses into the very mystery of human existence。Dostoevsky in Love is an effectively condensed version of what can be deemed a hefty tome of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's life， which can be seen as dramatic if not as tragic as the novels inspired by it。 The book is not just about picking up only the highlights and somewhat leaving the rest untold， but by choosing what is relevant and make it appear as whole and as complete to the reader。 From his precocious childhood in the hospital and their estate of Darovoe， to his mock execution and life changing exile in Siberia， from the deplorable conditions of his life as a writer and addiction to gambling， from the affairs and relationships he had had that defined him as a man and eventually as a father and to his monumental fame and rise as a prophet， it is told simply without any form of prolixity。 The love in title refers to the variations of it as it appears in different periods of Dostoevsky's life， or perhaps more aptly love as it progresses into a higher state of evolution。 From its earliest nascent as filial love for his mother as a son， to his fraternal love for his brother Mikhail， the tumultuous love he had for his first wife as a young man， to his inveterate and disgusting love for gambling， sweeping his new found love for his second wife Anna in marital destitution。 His paternal love for his children especially to Sonya and Alexei， who both died young， his passionate love for his art， for his Orthodox religion， for the peasants， for Russia， patriotic fervor for his country and people that transforms ultimately to deific love as purified by suffering and redeemed by the Universal Brotherhood of Mankind， a love， which Dostoevsky believes is the only cure for all the ills and problems of humanity。Far fetched？ Perhaps。 But for those with an open mind， those who see a glimmer of truth in it， those who have greatly suffer and are asking for redemption， those who seek for answers to unanswerable questions， those who believe in God， those who deny God， those who want to probe into human nature， those who want to know more about life， even those who are simply curious， just try and grab one of his books， preferably The Brothers Karamazov， Crime and Punishment， Demons， The Idiot， Notes From The Dead House and Notes from Underground。 Immense yourself into the madness of his fiction and surely your outward life will turn inward and from there see the poignant reality that is Universal in all of us。。。Related Reviews:Dostoevsky: A Writer in His Timeby Joseph FrankDostoevsky: Letters and Reminiscencesby Fyodor DostoyevskyComplete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevskyby Fyodor Dostoyevsky 。。。more
Ivana - Diary of Difference
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Wishlist | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Ko-fiIf you， just like me， are a fan of Dostoevsky’s work， you will definitely enjoy Dostoevsky in Love:An Intimate Life。 And even if you haven’t read any of his books， you’ll learn about what it felt like living in 19th century Russia （and other European countries）， and I am certain that upon reading this， you’ll go and grab one of Dostoevsky’s books。 Synopsis:Dostoevsky in Love: An Intimate Life is a detailed biography of the life of Dostoe Wishlist | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Ko-fiIf you， just like me， are a fan of Dostoevsky’s work， you will definitely enjoy Dostoevsky in Love:An Intimate Life。 And even if you haven’t read any of his books， you’ll learn about what it felt like living in 19th century Russia （and other European countries）， and I am certain that upon reading this， you’ll go and grab one of Dostoevsky’s books。 Synopsis:Dostoevsky in Love: An Intimate Life is a detailed biography of the life of Dostoevsky， mixed with a bit of creative freedom。 Alex Christofi tells the story of Dostoevsky’s life using quotes from Dostoevsky’s books， as well as from letters and diaries。 My Thoughts:It’s not very often I read biographies。 If I read a biography， it has to be from someone I know a lot about and am curious about。 I was going to say that it’s also from people I really admire， but I love reading biographies about serial killers， so maybe that’s not the best statement to put in words。 However， from all the biographies I’ve read， this one certainly jumps at the top of my list， firstly because of its uniqueness。 Alex Christofi not only shows us the life of Dostoevsky and his works， but he digs much deeper than that。 We get to know Dostoevsky on a very personal level， able to read his thoughts， re-live his experiences and witness his many tragedies in life and few of his moments of happiness。Starting with his mock execution， we immediately get a glimpse of the terror Dostoevsky goes through。 I can only imagine how that experience can leave a mark on you – for life。 Then we follow his years in prison， his illness， his romantic life and his gambling addiction。 The joy he experiences when his first child is born， and the pain he suffers when many people he loves keep dying around him。“Suffering and pain are always mandatory for broad minds and deep hearts。 Truly great people， it seems to me， should feel great sadness on this earth。”I went into Dostoevsky in Love: An Intimate Life with only a basic knowledge of Dostoevsky’s life， but a more broader knowledge of his works。And I know now， where this genius has come from。He always had the truly remarkable gift to be able to write， but his experiences in life certainly made him understand pain， grief， human psychology and interaction on such a deeper level， in a way that not many people can truly comprehend。 This biography not only made me much more understanding of his life， but also made me eager to re-read all his works now， knowing what I know about his life。 And not only his life， but also the period he lived in as well， the politics， the social groups of authors and people’s interactions with one another。“Everywhere in Russia there have always been， and always will be certain strange individuals who， while humble and by no means lazy， are destined to be broke for ever。”I admire Alex Christofi for his detailed research and the work he put into this book。He was able to combine extracts from Dostoevsky’s books into experiences that Dostoevsky lived through。 And connect the events with when the books were written。 I had mixed feelings on this creative freedom at first， but very soon I started to enjoy it， and it brought the writer and the works closer together in my world。 We can feel moments， when an event would happen to Dostoevsky， and how this reflects in his books。 How it inspired him to start a book， how a character matches a person from his life。 I really wished that we read more about the time he was writing “Crime and Punishment”。 It was mentioned a lot of times， but it never was associated with any moment in his life。 I am wondering about how this book came to be， and the initial response it received from the public。There’s a reason why Dostoevsky is such an important person in the world literature。 Why many of his books are classics and are being read and studied in schools even today。 He has brought a view on psychology and sociology through fiction。 There is yet an author to try and create something as remarkable as what Dostoevsky did in his time。“If we take the trouble to honour the dead， perhaps one day someone will remember us。” 。。。more
Julia Simpson-Urrutia
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You might have heard of Dostoevsky—might have decided to read one of his novels—but if you haven’t read one or have only just learned his name， know that Dostoevsky is considered one of the most representative writers of 19th century Russia in the same way that Charles Dickens is considered one of the most representative writers of 19th century Great Britain and the English-reading world。 They both focused on the poor and the dispossessed in their literature， insisting on the humanity of the dow You might have heard of Dostoevsky—might have decided to read one of his novels—but if you haven’t read one or have only just learned his name， know that Dostoevsky is considered one of the most representative writers of 19th century Russia in the same way that Charles Dickens is considered one of the most representative writers of 19th century Great Britain and the English-reading world。 They both focused on the poor and the dispossessed in their literature， insisting on the humanity of the downtrodden， and through characters and circumstances presented， both writers helped give recognizable qualities to national identity。The title of this book may have the potential reader thinking it is about Dostoevsky’s romantic life， but it is about so much more。 It is about his love of life， mankind， philosophy， God and literature as well as his driving passion to understand why he was dealt the circumstances he and the rest of his nation lived in。 He was quite honestly in love with Russia。 Though he enjoyed inexpensive （then） places to live and write like Switzerland， he always felt the need to be in the most dynamic centers of Russia。When Fyodor Dostoevsky was little， his father， a hard-working doctor， was recognized for zealous medical service， for which he was awarded the Order of St Anna。 This recognition by the government lifted the family from its poverty to a position at which they could afford to hire staff—a coachman， cook， maid and nanny。 The boost up the hierarchical caste system placed the family at the lowest level of gentry and gave the family rights that people in the free world take for granted。 I paused every time I read that Dostoevsky or his family gained a right or permission because the situation reminded me of almost two decades living in a monarchical autocracy， where I could not work or own property or inherit （due to being a foreigner）。 Similarly， 19th century Russia had （and many other countries today still have） a far different societal system than what is familiar to Western readers。 The Order of St。 Anna bestowed upon Dr。 Dostoevsky gave him the right to purchase land and own his own place。 Before that， he could only rent。 Still， gentry could go into debt， which fate befell both Dr。 Dostoevsky and his son after him。 In （Fyodor’s case， however， much of the debt was senselessly self-inflicted。）The reader must imagine that the child， Fyodor， and his brother Mikhail， would have been thrilled by the rise up the ladder and proud of their father for achieving the recognition that made them gentry。 That career boost probably created a sense of gratitude towards the tsar in Dostoevsky， which helps to explain why Russians had a hard time trying to figure out what side Dostoevsky was on—that of the poor or the ruling elite。 Like Dickens， he knew people on both sides of the train tracks， but the Russian writer could be said to have suffered far more than the British。 Dostoevsky’s mother died of tuberculosis when he was a teen and the family broke apart， just like that。 Dostoevsky showed his love of literature early and belonged to a group that discussed books critical of tsarist Russia for which he was sentenced to many years in a Siberian prison camp and then more years of military service in exile。 His sufferings seemed to have known no bound。 I read about them with a cold hand gripping my intestines， wondering how he could possibly have endured all he did and still have found love and acclaim。But he managed， with his latter marriage being a happy one and his years of literary endeavor bringing him the kind of recognition every writer dreams of—with all kinds of misery filling the gaps。 Even the most dedicated reader of literary greats will wonder whether Dostoevsky did not arrive at good luck through sheer happenstance， for he lived in a political climate with nothing but traps and holes。 This is the kind of book that will have readers rummaging through the end notes， sorry there is not more to read。 I adored the comments about the influence of Dostoevsky’s writing after his death。 。。。more
Susan
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Although I have read most of Dostoevsky’s works， I have never read his biography。 The author takes an interesting approach and puts Dostoevsky’s emotional and personal life central of his life。 And what a life it was。 Indeed this opens with Dostoevsky suffering a mock execution， which resulting in him being informed that， rather than being killed， he would be sentenced to four years hard labour， before being forced to serve as a private in the army。 I suspect many would take such a sentence more Although I have read most of Dostoevsky’s works， I have never read his biography。 The author takes an interesting approach and puts Dostoevsky’s emotional and personal life central of his life。 And what a life it was。 Indeed this opens with Dostoevsky suffering a mock execution， which resulting in him being informed that， rather than being killed， he would be sentenced to four years hard labour， before being forced to serve as a private in the army。 I suspect many would take such a sentence more favourably had they seriously considered a bullet to be the alternative， but it is certainly a strong opening。Christofi then takes the reader back to his birth at a Hospital for the Poor， where his father was a doctor。 As Dostoevsky’s father aged， he seemed to become more discontented and was， possibly， killed by peasants at the small estate he owned。 Later， Christofi muses that Dostoevsky – once arrested - faced the irony of being killed by peasants， who disliked and distrusted， political prisoners， when he had been imprisoned for plotting their emancipation。As the title of the book shows， this biography focuses on Dostoevsky’s personal life。 Not only romantic， as we read of his love for his mother and brother。 However， there are also long rides to try to convince his first wife to marry him， with love quickly turning to disappointment。 Romance and a second marriage to the， almost Saintly patient， Anna， who refused to blame her husband， even when his gambling meant that he constantly pawned her wedding ring。 Indeed， Dostoevsky’s gambling obsession was so bad that it is almost painful to read about it。 At one point， leaving a town where he has lost everything the couple had， he leaves the train they were leaving on， to go and lose their remaining few coins; the lure of the casino was so strong。 Despite his faults， Dostoevsky personally had a lot of warmth; especially in his love of children。 Although， again， there are tragedies， he obviously adored his children。 He would dress as a polar bear， strand his giggling children on ‘ice floes，’ and stalk them to gobble them up。 The sight of a child always warmed him and he had endless patience with them; once sitting up most of the night with his son， who was unable to leave his Christmas present behind to go to bed。 If， like me， you know little of Dostoevsky’s life， this will be a joy to read。 I found it utterly compelling and a fascinating portrait of a literary life。 I received a copy of this book from the publisher， via NetGalley， for review。 。。。more
Paromjit
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Alex Christophi takes an interesting approach in writing of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky， a fascinating and original blend of biographical facts interspersed with his varied fiction， which Christophi claims contains relevant aspects for the memoir Dostoevsky never got to write before his death at the age of 56。 If you are looking for a straightforward biography of one of Russia's greatest 19th century writers， acclaimed for his ability to reveal the human soul and penetrate the deepest depths Alex Christophi takes an interesting approach in writing of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky， a fascinating and original blend of biographical facts interspersed with his varied fiction， which Christophi claims contains relevant aspects for the memoir Dostoevsky never got to write before his death at the age of 56。 If you are looking for a straightforward biography of one of Russia's greatest 19th century writers， acclaimed for his ability to reveal the human soul and penetrate the deepest depths of the human psyche， then I would suggest looking elsewhere。 I wanted to read this because The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment are two of my all time favourite novels， albeit I read them quite some time ago。 The 'in love' part of the title is approached in the broadest possible terms， such as applying to his family， brother Mikhail， his children， the 3 main women he was in love with， his love of literature and writing itself， religion， the underclass， and humanity as a whole。Fyodor was particularly poor at managing his finances， living most of his life in debt， exacerbated by his gambling addiction， responsible for the heavy pressures on him to write， and resulting in him being ripped off by dishonest publishers。 His poor health was to plague him throughout his life， at the mercy of epileptic seizures， about which he was never fully open about with his first wife， Maria， which resulted in his marriage going downhill。 His fraught and turbulent life echoes the political turbulence of Russia itself， leading him to be seen as the state of nation writer。 He had shifting contrary political and social perspectives through time， a committed believer in the Russian Orthodox Church， although he had his doubts， unsurprising， given the loss of two of his children which hit him hard。 The narrative takes the reader through his experiences at a Siberian prison camp， the intense discussions， conflicts and rivalries in the writers circles， falling in love for the first time in his mid-thirties with a married woman， Maria， whom he married but not before a mass of emotional melodrama， his affair with student Polina， she harbours radical thoughts of assassinating the Tsar， and his second marriage to Anna， the stenographer， the happiest time of his life， and the other events， philosophy， political thinking， Russia and the people who inspired his writing。I imagine it took Christophi some considerable time to consider and meld the appropriate extracts from Dostoevsky's influential fiction with his biographical details， but he manages this with such aplomb that I found reading this a riveting and compulsive affair。 The only fly in the ointment was the ARC itself from the publisher， with its confusion over time and the difficulties in accessing the references provided at the end， and is the main reason I did not award this 5 stars。 Other than this， this was terrifically enjoyable and offered a different， yet highly insightful way， of looking at the life and times of Dostoevsky， a man who loved Pushkin and Charles Dickens， and of Russia itself。 Highly recommended。 Many thanks to Bloomsbury for an ARC。 。。。more
Bandit
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