Book Review Poor folk by Fyodor Dostoevesky

Title: Poor Folk
Author: Fyodor Dostoevesky
Pages:103
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Source: Online

Buy Poor folk from flipkart.com
Buy Poor folk from amazon.com




Review (from the back cover)
Written in the form of letters, it recounts a blossoming romance amid St. Petersburg's slums between a middle-aged writer and a much younger seamstress. Compact and easy to read, it represents an excellent introduction to Dostoyevsky's work.

Summary:
As the name suggests the story revolves round people ridden with poverty..The two protagonist of the novel Makar Dievushkin a clerk and Barbara Dobroselova a seamstress are poor and Makar is deeply in love with Barbara ..The story spans for a period of eight months through exchange of letters between Makar and his distant relative and orphaned Varvara who is sick and is flirting between the line of prostitution and a life of dignity...Coming back to our main story, Barbara never confesses her love for him nor she encourages the generous gifts Makar bestows upon her with whatever he has and at times depriving himself of his basic needs, yet she never refuses him entirely... A love which is destined to doom and you know  what to expect in the end , yet you keep on reading...Unlike Dostoevesky's other works like Crime and Punishment, Brother K and The notes from the underground this story is pretty simple and the characters do not carry the depth of grey that are usually predominant in his other books...The letters in spite of its somber mood is a clear depiction of people who crave for love,care and affection and a self loathing for their life of ruin ... Makar consistently tries to win Barbara's hand even when he knows deep inside that he would eventually lose his side..Barbara goes on to marry Monsieur Bwikov whom she has no particular affection to, still takes such a decision to drift herself away from poverty..Makar even knowing Barbara's decision asks her to right back may be for one last time...Makar's fate

Misery of a poor man is portrayed in a way that earns compassion from the reader than that of sympathy.. Readers get a feeling that they are quite happy about their tattered state...Apart from the state of people and their behavioral psychology,  Dostoevesky also explores the history of Russia with a dash of melancholy and its fall to disgrace... Life of lower middle class society  and their battle to stay afloat leaves us bit disturbed at times..There are also reference excerpts from other authors and writers were Dostoevesky tries to make his opinion upon them...This is a short novel where you get a peek on to the lives of  poor, down trodden, impoverished mass of people of the gone by era...

Short story: The Crocodile/ The dream of a ridiculous man by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Title:The crocodile/The dream of a ridiculous man
Author:Fyodor Dostoevsky
Rating: 5/5 nd 4/5
Genre: Parody
Source:online

I read two short stories by one of my favorite authors Fyodor Dostoevsky.I chose  The crocodile and  The dream of a ridiculous man..First one I chose because of the story line that really didn't sound like Dostoevsky, the later I chose for its title..


The Crocodile 
The story really came as a surprise for me in the beginning..It is about Ivan Matveich ( I have always had problem with getting the names right, I'm not even sure if i'm spelling them right till the end) who is swallowed by a crocodile live at a public exhibition in St. Petersburg..He teases his way to get to this trap...He is accompanied by his wife Elena Ivanovna and a friend Semyon Semyonitch to the exhibition..The crocodile is being is  touring all over the country run by a German couple...Ivan's wife make an appeal to the couple to cut the crocodile to rescue her husband while the couple demand a ransom in return...Elena is unable to make all that money while Ivan gets accustomed to his new environment comfortably , he even starts enjoying the attention he gathers by his new found place of life...On the contrary Elena begins to appreciate her freedom and life without Ivan...

Like I had mentioned earlier,  I was quite taken aback by the plot initially, but then it dawned to me that it was a parody..Through Ivan's situation Dostyovaesky points at various social issues...The story is amazingly engaging, and very much enjoyable with its strange story-line and pace..Only a master story teller like Dostoevsky can put a strong and powerful message wrapped in a soft touch...He makes dig at the writers, newspaper and every socially responsible authorities who publicize the man inside a crocodile.. I would say it can come under the contemporary writing with a classic feel...The humour and wit are just perfect for a wonderful reading  that makes you smile and think at the same time...
Loved this one and I would recommend to anyone who likes Russian writers and classic short stories..

The dream of a ridiculous man
The story is about a man who is questioning and debating upon his existence and life..I wouldn't that he is depressed  but he is totally taken away by disturbing thoughts that takes a plunge  to commit suicide..On his way he meets a gal in total tatters who comes for help for her dying mother..In spite of being aware of the complete state he shoos her away but then  is filled with remorse later with himself .. This instinct of self loath doesn't let him shoot himself and he  eventually falls asleep..The whole story is about the dream there after...A fantasy world something like an identical earth inhabited by  very innocent people contrary to people around him..They are kind and love without any expectations, they are not overcome by jealousy or anger yet.. There he learns what is love and what is it to be loved , yet he depreciate the standard of living by injecting practicality, dividing them in the name of self improvement and degrades them by vengeful ego and concepts of jealousy and intolerance...The paradise transforms into a wrathful hell with all filthy semblance... But he wakes up as a transformed man for good..

The story is on a philosophical note, on man and his behavior that has to be in check time and again for a balanced character and life...He points out how a self centered man destroys a whole group without actually doing vile things  to others around them...The right perception for life and social responsibility is the main theme of the story...I loved the theme and the inspiration it surrounds the reader with...This again will make up for  a wonderful read if you are looking for a meaningful short story...