Notes from a Dead House (Vintage Classics)
Product ID: 25398823
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From the acclaimed translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, hailed as “the premier Russian-to-English translators of the era” ( The New Yorker ), comes a masterful translation of the first great prison memoir: Fyodor Dostoevsky’s fictionalized account of his life-changing penal servitude in Siberia. “A master of psychological portraiture. . . . A testament to the power of the human will, the way it can marshal patience and imagination and hope.”— The New Criterion In 1849, Dostoevsky was sentenced to four years at hard labor in a Siberian prison camp for participating in a socialist discussion group. The novel he wrote after his release, based on notes he smuggled out, not only brought him fame, but also founded the tradition of Russian prison writing. Notes from a Dead House (sometimes translated as The House of the Dead ) depicts brutal punishments, feuds, betrayals, and the psychological effects of confinement, but it also reveals the moments of comedy and acts of kindness that Dostoevsky witnessed among his fellow prisoners. To get past government censors, Dostoevsky made his narrator a common-law criminal rather than a political prisoner, but the perspective is unmistakably his own. His incarceration was a transformative experience that nourished all his later works, particularly Crime and Punishment . Dostoevsky’s narrator discovers that even among the most debased criminals there are strong and beautiful souls. His story is, finally, a profound meditation on freedom: “The prisoner himself knows that he is a prisoner; but no brands, no fetters will make him forget that he is a human being.” Review: A Vibrant New Translation of This Remarkable Memoir/Novel - My love for the writing of Fyodor Dostoevsky has been passed down to the next two generations. It is no accident that one of my grandson's bears the middle name of Fyodor! The author's memoir about prison life - thinly disguised as a novel, has undergone a stunning and beautiful new translation at the hands of the gifted husband and wife team of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Dostoevsky was initially sentenced to die by firing squad for his involvement in a Utopian socialist discussion group. The CTsar commuted his sentence to four years in Siberia. This book, "Notes From A Dead House" represents Dosoevsky's memories of those years, smuggled out of the prison in bits and pieces. Most striking in this narrative is the transformation that the aristocratic protagonist undergoes as he begins to recognize the common humanity that he shares with many of the prisoners - even with the least likable among them. The language in this marvelous translation is rich and evocative. The characters we meet are memorable and idiosyncratic, in many cases giving hints at future fictional characters like Raskolnikov and members of the Karamazov family. For any fan of Dostoevsky's remarkable oeuvre, this book is a welcome addition to your library. Review: In progress
| Best Sellers Rank | #53,860 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #17 in Russian & Soviet Literature (Books) #958 in Classic Literature & Fiction #2,307 in Literary Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 493 Reviews |
A**E
A Vibrant New Translation of This Remarkable Memoir/Novel
My love for the writing of Fyodor Dostoevsky has been passed down to the next two generations. It is no accident that one of my grandson's bears the middle name of Fyodor! The author's memoir about prison life - thinly disguised as a novel, has undergone a stunning and beautiful new translation at the hands of the gifted husband and wife team of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Dostoevsky was initially sentenced to die by firing squad for his involvement in a Utopian socialist discussion group. The CTsar commuted his sentence to four years in Siberia. This book, "Notes From A Dead House" represents Dosoevsky's memories of those years, smuggled out of the prison in bits and pieces. Most striking in this narrative is the transformation that the aristocratic protagonist undergoes as he begins to recognize the common humanity that he shares with many of the prisoners - even with the least likable among them. The language in this marvelous translation is rich and evocative. The characters we meet are memorable and idiosyncratic, in many cases giving hints at future fictional characters like Raskolnikov and members of the Karamazov family. For any fan of Dostoevsky's remarkable oeuvre, this book is a welcome addition to your library.
M**A
In progress
M**Z
Bueno
Llego en excelentes condiciones
K**N
Great, but damaged dust jacket.
The book is exactly the same, however the dust jackets are not the greatest in quality in my opinion. The dust jackets are a sort of matte color where you can see weird markings on them and they often come folded or bent.
R**N
as promised and on time
exactly as described fast shipping
M**O
A Tale Worth Reading
Dostoevsky is an iconic writer whose work is truly timeless. An engaging read, an interesting journey. Read the book and take the fascinating trip.
F**K
Excellent
Another excellent translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. If you've read other translations of this book---mis-titled in earlier versions---you will feel you are reading it for the first time. Notes from a Dead House, in this translation, is also a good introduction for readers just getting into Dostoevsky, because it raises so many of the ethical and moral concerns in his later books, though only in outline here. We're fortunate to have the many fresh translations that Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky have produced; any of them will make you want to read all of Dostoevsky, or reread him again as if for the first time.
S**S
good book
he writes good books 👍🏻
J**S
Masterpiece albeit an uneven one.
Wonderful descriptions and stories from the author's imprisonment in Siberia. Loses one star for it's uneven quality - the first of his great books. Masterful translation.
P**F
He is the master and this new translation is the best ever you can get
Nobody can beat Dostoevsky when it comes to writing about man. He is the master and this new translation is the best ever you can get. The closest English translation of what the author wrote in Russian. Now I can claim to have all the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky.
S**H
A phenomenal book.
It felt like witnessing the birth of the genius we now know as Dostoevsky.
J**S
Amazing book
Love the book
A**R
Good quality as in publication.
The font could have been some what bigger to make it easy on eyes. I find myself not qualified to comment upon Dostoevsky's work. He has given so much to humankind in form of his writings.
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