This was the penultimate novel by the great Russian author, written just before his masterpiece The Brothers Karamazov. It is spoken highly of by Romano Guardini in his book The Religious World of Dostoevsky, and by Nikolai Berdyaev in his essay The Spirit of Dostoevsky. It was written in the last stage of his life, as is evident in the skilful, in-depth way his great themes are expounded.
The narrator is the Adolescent himself, with his whole life centred on his own ego: immature, fantastic, boastful and hot-tempered; at the mercy of his opinions, but on his way to something more; a character in a state of growth.
Some of Dostoevsky’s most notable reflections are condensed into high literature here, such as “It's impossible to be a man and not bow down to something; such a man could not bear the burden of himself, nor could there be such a man. If he rejects God, then he bows down to an idol – fashioned of wood, or of gold, or of thought.” And others, such as the dialogue about atheism and happiness being incompatible with one another. But the book is not an essay, it is a gripping tale, with secret documents, conspiracies, frauds, prison, surprises, attempted murders, and all. Some modern editions include plentiful notes, a glossary and an index of characters, which are very helpful.
This is not nearly as well known as Dostoevsky’s other works, but it is on a level with Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and Demons (also published as The Possessed).
J.I.P. (Spain, 2016)