For all his distance from philosophy, Dostoevsky was one of the most philosophical of writers. Drawing on his novels, essays, letters and notebooks, this volume examines Dostoevsky's philosophical thought.

Presents a biography the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky along with critical views of his work.

Dostoevsky Sober Hope: Finding Faith in the Bleak Midwinter As winter descends to end the year 2023, it is a time for contemplation: a time to revel in the joys and find balm for the woes of the past year, a time to find the courage to hold on, and the hope to thrive in the new year. Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821 - 1881) faced his own bleak (and Russian!) winters, from childhood play amongst the impoverished at his father’s medical clinic to a last minute reprieve from the Tsar’s firing squad for discussing banned books followed by ten years of prison camp and military service in exile. While his novels, such as Crime & Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov demonstrate human depravity they also give glimmers of grace, love, and beauty which have made him one of the most beloved novelists of all time. It is our hope that as you find time to relax during the holiday season (making it a habit for the new year!), that you will find these discussions deeply meaningful. Awaiting for you within are discussions of his characters from novels and short stories alike, Dostoevsky-inspired poems, and reviews of films, books, and even contemporary music which reflect the light and warmth he dared to find in his own bleak winter. CONTRIBUTORS * "Dostoevsky for Our Times" by Editorial introduction by Seth Myers. DOSTOEVSKY: THE FUNDAMENTALS * "Dostoevsky the Culturally Active Christian" by William Collen * "Dostoevsky's Narrative of (Un)Belief: From Psychology to Theology" by John Givens * "Underground Apologetics" by George Scondras * "A Midterm in Russian Literature" by Tom Sims THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV * "The Brothers Karamazov and the Existential Problem of Atheism" by Josiah Peterson * "Fifty Shades of Bleak: The Karamazov Principle Explored" by Matthew Lilley * "Dear, Kind God: A Divine Dilemma" by Grant Walker Broadhurst THE IDIOT * "Beauty in Tragedy: The Idiot, Dostoevsky, and Eucatastrophe" by Clark Weidner * "Interpreting Prince Myshkin: The Idiot" by Joshua Jo Wah Yen CRIME AND PUNISHMENT * "What Would I Be Without God?" by Sojourna Howfree * "By Their Fruit: An Allegorical Tale" by Brian Melton SHORT STORIES AND POEMS *"Crazy Love: The Action and Call of Grace in Dostoevsky's 'The Dream of the Ridiculous Man'" by Theresa Pihl * "The Heart of Christ and Dostoevsky's 'The Christmas Tree and a Wedding'" by Christy Luis * "2057 Carnot Street" by Patricia Newberry * "Another Magi's Journey" by Awara Fernandez * "Necropolis and the Soul's Well" by Katie Windham REVIEWS * "From Literature to Film: Adapting Dostoevsky's Works" by Mary Lou Cornish * "Soul Survival Kit: Tolstoy and Dostoevsky" by Seth Myers . * "Dostoevsky, Man About Town: Gulags, Muscovite Gentlemen, and Murakami" by Seth Myers * "Review of James Scanlan's Dostoevsky the Thinker," by Seth Myers * "Dostoevsky in Midnights' Metropolis: Midnights' Anti-Hero and Marvel-ous Heroes" by Seth Myers Volume 6, Issue 4, Advent 2024 330 pages Cover Image: Riz Crescini

Rowan Williams explores the intricacies of speech, fiction, metaphor, and iconography in the works of one of literature's most complex and most misunderstood, authors. Williams' investigation focuses on the four major novels of Dostoevsky's maturity (Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Devils, and The Brothers Karamazov). He argues that understanding Dostoevsky's style and goals as a writer of fiction is inseparable from understanding his religious commitments. Any reader who enters the rich and insightful world of Williams' Dostoevsky will emerge a more thoughtful and appreciative reader for it.

At first glance, the works of Fedor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) do not appear to have much in common with those of the controversial American writer Henry Miller (1891-1980). However, the influencer of Dostoevsky on Miller was, in fact, enormous and shaped the latter's view of the world, of literature, and of his own writing. The Making of a Counter-Culture Icon examines the obsession that Miller and his contemporaries, the so-called Villa Seurat circle, had with Dostoevsky, and the impact that this obsession had on their own work. Renowned for his psychological treatment of characters, Dostoevsky became a model for Miller, Lawrence Durrell, and Anais Nin, interested as they were in developing a new kind of writing that would move beyond staid literary conventions. Maria Bloshteyn argues that, as Dostoevsky was concerned with representing the individual's perception of the self and the world, he became an archetype for Miller and the other members of the Villa Seurat circle, writers who were interested in precise psychological characterizations as well as intriguing narratives. Tracing the cross-cultural appropriation and (mis)interpretation of Dostoevsky's methods and philosophies by Miller, Durrell, and Nin, The Making of a Counter-Culture Icon gives invaluable insight into the early careers of the Villa Seurat writers and testifies to Dostoevsky's influence on twentieth-century literature.

'A daring and mesmerizing twist on the art of biography' – Douglas Smith, author of Rasputin: The Biography 'Anyone who loves [Dostoevsky's] novels will be fascinated by this book' – Sue Prideaux, author of I Am Dynamite! A Life of Friedrich Nietzsche Dostoevsky's life was marked by brilliance and brutality. Sentenced to death as a young revolutionary, he survived mock execution and Siberian exile to live through a time of seismic change in Russia, eventually being accepted into the Tsar's inner circle. He had three great love affairs, each overshadowed by debilitating epilepsy and addiction to gambling. Somehow, amidst all this, he found time to write short stories, journalism and novels such as Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov, works now recognised as among the finest ever written. In Dostoevsky in Love Alex Christofi weaves carefully chosen excerpts of the author's work with the historical context to form an illuminating and often surprising whole. The result is a novelistic life that immerses the reader in a grand vista of Dostoevsky's world: from the Siberian prison camp to the gambling halls of Europe; from the dank prison cells of the Tsar's fortress to the refined salons of St Petersburg. Along the way, Christofi relates the stories of the three women whose lives were so deeply intertwined with Dostoevsky's: the consumptive widow Maria; the impetuous Polina who had visions of assassinating the Tsar; and the faithful stenographer Anna, who did so much to secure his literary legacy. Reading between the lines of his fiction, Christofi reconstructs the memoir Dostoevsky might have written had life – and literary stardom – not intervened. He gives us a new portrait of the artist as never before seen: a shy but devoted lover, an empathetic friend of the people, a loyal brother and friend, and a writer able to penetrate to the very depths of the human soul.

This book is not only a major twentieth-century contribution to Dostoevsky’s studies, but also one of the most important theories of the novel produced in our century. As a modern reinterpretation of poetics, it bears comparison with Aristotle.