Autobiographical Works

Book excerpt: Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist, journalist and philosopher. His literary works explore human psychology in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmosphere of 19th-century Russia. Many of his works contain a strong emphasis on Christianity, and its message of absolute love, forgiveness and charity, explored within the realm of the individual, confronted with all of life's hardships and beauty. His major works include Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), Demons (1872) and The Brothers Karamazov (1880). Many literary critics rate him as one of the greatest and most prominent psychologists in world literature. His novella Notes from Underground is considered to be one of the first works of existentialist literature. Table of Contents: BIOGRAPHY: Fyodor Dostoyevsky, A Study by Aimée Dostoyevsky LETTERS AND MEMOIRS: Letters of Fyodor Michailovitch Dostoyevsky to His Family and Friends Pages from the Journal of an Author, Fyodor Dostoevsky AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOVELS: The House of the Dead The Gambler