Dostoevsky – The Idiot - Review

 

It should be known to most students and readers of Dostoevsky that he suffered most of his adult life from a severe condition of epilepsy. The seizures from this disease can vary in intensity from mild to the point where it is so intense that the individual's heart will simply stop from the violent convulsions. Those afflicted with this condition have commented that safeness washes over them, and after an attack, a feeling of deep clarity pervades. A few individuals, including the great Russian writer, have claimed that they experienced something akin to a spiritual awakening, only lasting a few moments and sometimes a few hours. The protagonist in The Idiot, Prince Myshkin, also suffers from epilepsy and therefore has earned the cruel nickname of `Idiot' from his circle of friends and acquaintances.

The novel centers on this man and the profound effects he has on those he comes in contact. The Idiot is a nineteenth-century thriller, an exposé of the Russian aristocracy, intense, unrequited love, and spiritual redemption. A semi-autobiographical piece that is one of Dostoevsky's better novels.

Prince Myshkin's simpleton demeanor, his almost child-like view of the world - naive, terribly honest, and soft good looks - projects to other characters in the novel as someone with saintly qualities, an almost Christ-like aura surrounds him that most perceive when they first meet the man. Having had epilepsy from birth, he has raised under very controlled circumstances to finally move into the world without society's prejudices and biases. The Prince lacks because of his innocence, the decorum of the then Russian aristocracy. However, he has a gift. The Prince has great intuitive insight into the souls of the people he meets. And because he lacks in social graces, he, more often than not, will blurt out what he feels with uncanny accuracy, embarrassing the people present. Although he has great insight, there is a dark side and a price he will eventually have to pay.

The female protagonist is a fascinating woman. Nastasya Filippovna has an incredible strength of will that she uses for her tacit manipulations of the numerous fawning, stumbling men that constantly grovel around her. This woman's mere presence and her stunning beauty all combine to make a very powerful woman. However, below this persona of strength is an extremely insecure little girl who only requires love.

Rogozhin is the novel's psychopath, a rogue, and a scoundrel of the first order. Everything that we could possibly mistrust in a person, Rogozhin personifies as he, without conscience, hurts and manipulates those around him with adept skill.

This is a beautiful novel as it communicates our spiritual concerns, though represents our darker natures in insightful ways. The Idiot is a dramatic tragedy, a satire on Russia's aristocracy, and a reflection on our dual natures, possessing the capacity for so much good but also capable of so much evil.

This novel is written with vividness, and extreme passion, as only this Russian master can give us.

Excellent.