A Dostoyevsky classic about suffering and sickness, now a Penguin Clothbound Classic designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith
Inspired by an image of Christ's suffering, Dostoyevsky set out to create a protagonist with 'a truly beautiful soul' and to trace the fate of such an individual as he comes into contact with the brutal reality of contemporary society. The novel begins when the innocent epileptic Prince Myshkin - the 'idiot' - arrives in St Petersburg and finds himself drawn into a web of violent and passionate relationships that leads to blackmail, betrayal and eventually murder. This is a stunning new Clothbound Classics edition of Dostoyevsky's great novel, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith and translated by David McDuff. These delectable and collectible Penguin editions are bound in high-quality colorful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design.
Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
The IdiotChronology Introduction Further Reading A Note on the Translation
The Idiot
Notes
“A book that manages like no other to plunge fearlessly into suffering while at the same time illuminating the enduring, almost unspeakable beauty of the human.” —Laurie Sheck, The Atlantic
“One of the most excoriating, compelling, and remarkable books ever written: and without question one of the greatest.” —A. C. Grayling
“A masterpiece . . . a fact of world literature just as important as the densely dramatic Brothers Karamazov or the brilliantly subtle and terrifying Devils. . . . [an] excellent new translation.” —The Guardian “McDuff's language is rich and alive.” —The New York Times Book Review
“[The Idiot's] narrative is so compelling.” —Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
A Dostoyevsky classic about suffering and sickness, now a Penguin Clothbound Classic designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith
Inspired by an image of Christ's suffering, Dostoyevsky set out to create a protagonist with 'a truly beautiful soul' and to trace the fate of such an individual as he comes into contact with the brutal reality of contemporary society. The novel begins when the innocent epileptic Prince Myshkin - the 'idiot' - arrives in St Petersburg and finds himself drawn into a web of violent and passionate relationships that leads to blackmail, betrayal and eventually murder. This is a stunning new Clothbound Classics edition of Dostoyevsky's great novel, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith and translated by David McDuff. These delectable and collectible Penguin editions are bound in high-quality colorful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design.
Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Table of Contents
The IdiotChronology Introduction Further Reading A Note on the Translation
The Idiot
Notes
Praise
“A book that manages like no other to plunge fearlessly into suffering while at the same time illuminating the enduring, almost unspeakable beauty of the human.” —Laurie Sheck, The Atlantic
“One of the most excoriating, compelling, and remarkable books ever written: and without question one of the greatest.” —A. C. Grayling
“A masterpiece . . . a fact of world literature just as important as the densely dramatic Brothers Karamazov or the brilliantly subtle and terrifying Devils. . . . [an] excellent new translation.” —The Guardian “McDuff's language is rich and alive.” —The New York Times Book Review
“[The Idiot's] narrative is so compelling.” —Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
Sense and Sensibility; Pride and Prejudice; Mansfield Park; Emma; Northanger Abbey; Persuasion; Love and Freindship (Penguin Classics hardcover boxed set)
Sense and Sensibility; Pride and Prejudice; Mansfield Park; Emma; Northanger Abbey; Persuasion; Love and Freindship (Penguin Classics hardcover boxed set)
