Notes from a Dead House (Vintage Classics)

My love for the writing of Fyodor Dostoevsky has been passed down to the next two generations. It is no accident that one of my grandson's bears the middle name of Fyodor! The author's memoir about prison life - thinly disguised as a novel, has undergone a stunning and beautiful new translation at the hands of the gifted husband and wife team of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Dostoevsky was initially sentenced to die by firing squad for his involvement in a Utopian socialist discussion group. The CTsar commuted his sentence to four years in Siberia. This book, "Notes From A Dead House" represents Dosoevsky's memories of those years, smuggled out of the prison in bits and pieces. Most striking in this narrative is the transformation that the aristocratic protagonist undergoes as he begins to recognize the common humanity that he shares with many of the prisoners - even with the least likable among them. The language in this marvelous translation is rich and evocative. The characters we meet are memorable and idiosyncratic, in many cases giving hints at future fictional characters like Raskolnikov and members of the Karamazov family. For any fan of Dostoevsky's remarkable oeuvre, this book is a welcome addition to your library.

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The book is exactly the same, however the dust jackets are not the greatest in quality in my opinion. The dust jackets are a sort of matte color where you can see weird markings on them and they often come folded or bent.

he writes good books 👍🏻

Dostoevsky is an iconic writer whose work is truly timeless. An engaging read, an interesting journey. Read the book and take the fascinating trip.

Another excellent translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. If you've read other translations of this book---mis-titled in earlier versions---you will feel you are reading it for the first time. Notes from a Dead House, in this translation, is also a good introduction for readers just getting into Dostoevsky, because it raises so many of the ethical and moral concerns in his later books, though only in outline here. We're fortunate to have the many fresh translations that Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky have produced; any of them will make you want to read all of Dostoevsky, or reread him again as if for the first time.

Having read Dostoevsky's other major works, it is a revelation to read Notes from A Dead House. All the themes for which he was later known, sin and humanity, violence and redemption, can be traced to this singular experience that transformed Dostoevsky's vision of the world. Though the book is a fictional account, it is based on Dostoevsky's four years in exile. And that personal connection comes through on every page. Perhaps in no other work of his storied career is his psychological analysis more honest and immediate as it is here. The book also serves as a stunning reminder of the power of the individual; his capacity for change, his capacity for empathy, ultimately transcend the bondage of institution. At a time when we are focused so much on changing institutions, reading this book may just provide some much needed perspective.

Wonderful descriptions and stories from the author's imprisonment in Siberia. Loses one star for it's uneven quality - the first of his great books. Masterful translation.

Nobody can beat Dostoevsky when it comes to writing about man. He is the master and this new translation is the best ever you can get. The closest English translation of what the author wrote in Russian. Now I can claim to have all the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky.

It felt like witnessing the birth of the genius we now know as Dostoevsky.

Love the book

The font could have been some what bigger to make it easy on eyes. I find myself not qualified to comment upon Dostoevsky's work. He has given so much to humankind in form of his writings.