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Constance Garnett

    Constance Garnett was a pivotal English translator of 19th-century Russian literature. She was instrumental in introducing the works of Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Anton Chekhov to the English-speaking public for the first time on a wide scale. Her translations profoundly shaped the reception and understanding of these iconic Russian authors in the Western world. Garnett's efforts made their profound literary contributions accessible and beloved by a global audience.

    The Gambler and Other Stories
    The House of the Dead
    The Idiot
    The Insulted and Humiliated
    The brothers Karamazov: A novel in four parts and an epilogue
    Crime and Punishment
    • 'White Nights' is one of Dostoevsky's earlier short stories but one of his most enduringly popular. It tells the story of four nights in the life of the lonely narrator, who meets and falls in love with the mysterious and beautiful Nastenka. Poor Folkwas Dostoevsky's first novel, written to try and alleviate his financial plight, and was a commercial success. It tells the story of Makar Devushkin, a clerk, and Varvara Dobroselova, a seamstress, by means of the letters they exchange; they are in love, but too poor to marry. Its exploration of humanitarian themes led to it being described as Russia's first 'social novel'. By contrast, Dostoevsky's second novel, The Doublewas not well received. First published in 1846, it was revised and republished by Dostoevsky in 1866, but he did not consider it a success. By contrast, Vladimir Nabokov called it 'the best thing he ever wrote' and described it as 'a perfect work of art'.

      Wordsworth Classics: White Nights, Poor Folk & The Double2025
    • A collection of one novella and six short stories - The Gambler, Bobok, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, A Christmas Party and a Wedding, A Nasty Story and The Meek One.

      The Gambler and Other Stories2022
      4.1
    • This classic Russian novel has it all: murder, suspense, passion, struggle, and redemption. Originally published in 1866, Crime and Punishment is a psychological thriller that deals with issues of morality, conscience, and redemption. Widely considered to be one of the greatest novels written in any language, this novel explores the life of Rodin Raskolnikov, a young Russian man who robs and murders a pawnbroker to save himself from a life of poverty. As a consequence, he must deal with the oppressive mental anguish of being a criminal while attempting to maintain relationships with his friends and family.

      World Classics: Crime and Punishment2021
    • The House of the Dead

      Man is sometimes extraordinarily, passionately, in love with suffering...

      • 205 pages
      • 8 hours of reading

      Fyodor Dostoyevsky was born on November 11, 1821, and was introduced to literature early in life, with his mother teaching him to read and write using the Bible. His literary immersion was profound, fueled by his parents' nightly readings. Tragedy struck in 1837 when his mother died of tuberculosis, and he and his brother were enrolled at the Nikolayev Military Engineering Institute, where Dostoyevsky found little interest in military studies, preferring drawing and architecture. His father's death in 1839 may have triggered his epilepsy, yet he persevered, eventually becoming an engineer cadet. His first completed work, a translation of Balzac's "Eugénie Grandet," was published in 1843 but failed commercially. He then wrote "Poor Folk," which was a success, followed by "The Double," which received poor reviews and exacerbated his health issues. Involved in socialist circles, Dostoyevsky faced arrest in 1849 for distributing banned works, leading to a death sentence commuted to four years of hard labor in Siberia. His prison experiences inspired "The House of the Dead," published in 1861. He later completed "The Gambler" in just 26 days. Despite continued health decline, including a diagnosis of pulmonary emphysema, he published "Demons" in 1873. Dostoyevsky died on February 9, 1881, after suffering multiple pulmonary hemorrhages.

      The House of the Dead2019
      4.0
    • On the Eve

      • 224 pages
      • 8 hours of reading

      Brand-new translation of one of Turgenevs major novels, includes pictures and an extensive section on Turgenevs life and works.

      On the Eve2019
      3.7
    • Memoirs of a Hunter

      • 432 pages
      • 16 hours of reading

      Presented here in a masterful new translation by Michael Pursglove, this landmark collection established the literary reputation of the author, who considered it his most significant contribution to Russian literature, and is universally regarded as a milestone in the Russian realist tradition.

      Memoirs of a Hunter2015
      4.0
    • A Raw Youth (The Adolescent)

      • 366 pages
      • 13 hours of reading

      The novel explores the tumultuous relationship between 19-year-old Arkady Dolgoruky and his father, the notorious landowner Versilov, as Arkady returns to St. Petersburg after years at boarding school. As he navigates the complexities of his family's scandalous affairs, the story delves into deep psychological, emotional, and moral conflicts, reflecting the intricacies of the human condition. Dostoyevsky's rich characterizations and themes make this work a significant contribution to literature, showcasing the author's profound understanding of human nature.

      A Raw Youth (The Adolescent)2009
      3.4
    • A rich and idle man confronts his dead mistress's husband in this psychological novel of duality. Powerful and accessible, it offers a captivating and revealing exploration of love, guilt, and hatred.

      The eternal husband2008
      3.8
    • Youth rebels. It was true in Russia in 1862 when Fathers & Sons appeared. At its center stands Evgeny Bazarov, medical student, doctor's son & nihilist. Bazarov rejects authority, all so-called truths based on faith rather than science & experience. His ideas bring him into conflict with his best friend, recent graduate Arkady Kirsanov, with Arkady's family, with his own parents & eventually with his emotions when he falls in love with the beautiful Madame Odintsova.

      Barnes & Noble Classics: Fathers and Sons2007
    • The Idiot

      • 656 pages
      • 23 hours of reading

      Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky's masterful translation of The Idiot is destined to stand with their versions of Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, and Demons as the definitive Dostoevsky in English. After his great portrayal of a guilty man in Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky set out in The Idiot to portray a man of pure innocence. The twenty-six-year-old Prince Myshkin, following a stay of several years in a Swiss sanatorium, returns to Russia to collect an inheritance and be among people. Even before he reaches home he meets the dark Rogozhin, a rich merchant's son whose obsession with the beautiful Nastasya Filippovna eventually draws all three of them into a tragic denouement. In Petersburg the prince finds himself a stranger in a society obsessed with money, power, and manipulation. Scandal escalates to murder as Dostoevsky traces the surprising effect of this positively beautiful man on the people around him, leading to a final scene that is one of the most powerful in all of world literature.

      The Idiot2003
      4.2
    • Anna Karenina is one of the loved and memorable heroines of literature. Her overwhelming charm dominates a novel of unparalleled richness and density. This book addresses the very nature of society at various levels - of destiny, death, human relationships and the irreconcilable contradictions of existence.

      Anna Karenina2003
      4.0
    • Crime and Punishment

      • 537 pages
      • 19 hours of reading

      Believing he can commit the perfect crime, Roderick Raskolnikov robs and murders an elderly pawnbroker. He eventually finds himself engaged in a battle of wits with inspector Porfiry, a policeman who is determined to wring a confession from the once confident Raskolnikov, a killer whose conscience is slowly beginning to destroy him. Crime and Punishment is one of the most important novels of the nineteenth century. It is the story of a murder committed on principle, of a killer who wishes to set himself outside and above society. The novel is marked by Dostoevsky's own harrowing experience in penal servitude, and yet contains moments of wild humor. This new edition of the authoritative and readable Coulson translation comes with a challenging new introduction and notes that elucidate many of the novel's most important and difficult aspects.

      Crime and Punishment2000
      4.7