Fyodor Dostoyevsky
21) The double
Description
Simon is a timid man, scratching out an isolated existence in an indifferent world. He is overlooked at work, scorned by his mother, and ignored by the woman of his dreams. He feels powerless to change any of these things. The arrival of a new co-worker, James, serves to upset the balance. James is both Simon's exact physical double and his opposite: confident, charismatic and good with women. To Simon's horror, James slowly starts taking over his...
22) Idiot
Appears on list
Description
Based on Dostoyevsky's fable of a holy fool, this story which takes place in Hokkaido in the winter is about a man who returns home after a stay in an asylum. He is being drawn toward Christianity; his antagonist is an anarchist.
Description
Fyodor Karamazov is the wealthy father of four grown sons: Dmitri, an elegant officer, always broke and at odds with his father; Ivan, the intellectual; pious Alexe; and half-brother Smerdyakov. Tensions erupt to a murderous end when libertine father and romantic son find themselves vying for the affections of the same woman, the wild Grushenka. Finding themselves adrift without the dark anchor that held them together, the four brothers must now find...