A review by meeklovestoread
White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky

emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I found this book on bookstagram as well as seeing one of the booktubers I watch recommend it and the way they sold it sounded right up my alley so I decided to give it a go especially considering how short it was. However, I was sadly disappointed. I may have done myself a disservice in terms of the speed at which I read this book. It's said to be about 80 pages and I finished in about an hour and a half. I think this is the type of book you have to take your time with and digest. However, if I'm being quite frank I still don't think I would've connected with the story even if I "took my time" with it. I just didn't find it all that compelling. I can acknowledge that the story within itself is truly sad, however, because I wasn't connected to the characters or the way the story was written I just didn't feel that emotional effect that the story was going for. Speaking of the writing, I don't know if it's because I'm not accustomed to reading classics as well as considering this was also a piece of translated fiction, but it wasn't doing it for me. It was understandable enough, and it did contain some nice lines, but other than that it wasn't really for me. I saw someone else comment that said " Clinically depressed man gets friendzoned." And that's literally the basis of what happens so do with that as you may. Not something that I would personally have an emotional attachment to.
Also, this book is expecting me to suspend my disbelief too much. By day 2, this guy is in love with her and I'm expected to take this story seriously. Of course, this may be a product of its time, but still. Another reason I couldn't connect to this book. I wasn't feeling this "loneliness". You can infer that the narrator falling for Nastenka could indirectly illustrate how quickly he is to fall for someone because he's so lonely, but I'm not willing to take that leap. Also, maybe I read it wrong, but I found it quite disturbing that  Nastenka is described as a literal child and the narrator is 26. That gave me the ick. And therefore, further disconnected me from the story.😖
No hate to anyone that I liked this one; it just wasn't for me and that's okay.
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