Reviews

Идиот, by Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyodor Dostoevsky

hawaiian_hedgehog's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

shannon_jayne1's review against another edition

Usually enjoy Dostoyevsky but I just didn’t connect with the story or any of the characters (didn’t dislike them, just felt meh). I kept going for so long because of the admittedly entertaining drama and in hopes of the story going in a direction I enjoyed, but I just got a point where I couldn’t keep going as I just didn’t care.

gidazz's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

spicy_koala's review against another edition

3.0

3-3.5 stars. Some of the monologues are loooong.

At the start, I just felt pity toward the prince that people were taking advantage of him. Then it kept happening...and I came to realize the title of the book is apt. Also, not only in reference to the main character, but it applies to most of them.

I’m sure this book is some sort of high-level commentary about society at the time and treatment of our fellow man, but daaang some of it was long-winded and caused me lots of eye-rolling.

alexander_jabber's review against another edition

funny reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

He’s just like me fr

bleary's review against another edition

3.0

Eep. Criticising Dostoyevsky might be a hanging offence but here goes: although The Idiot contains some extraordinary ideas and writing, although the characters are brilliantly realised, although it's clearly the work of one of literature's true titans, I have to say that I found it a bit meandering and repetitive. In fact, I thought it needed a good edit.

Please be lenient when passing judgement on me.

matildelive's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No

4.25

lorenka's review against another edition

funny reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

i’ll reread this forever 

marttaf's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

dzengota's review against another edition

3.0

Part of my inability to 'get' The Idiot as well as I did for Crime and Punishment and certainly Notes From Underground is that The Idiot relies so heavily on having a stronger understanding of aristocratic Russian society. It partially critiques and satirizes it instead of diving deep into one character life and psychology like the other two Dostoevsky books I listed. The titular idiot is just not nearly as interesting as the other two protagonists.

Occasionally Dostoevsky would leave the noble minutia and start waxing philosophical about society writ large and the greater implications of the events of the book. These are by the far best parts of the book, but are vastly overshadowed by the machinations of characters that never really got all that interesting.