The Idiot

The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1869)

Prince Myshkin, a genuinely good man — innocent, compassionate, and epileptic — returns to Russia from a Swiss sanatorium and is destroyed by a society that cannot comprehend or tolerate his goodness.

Historical Significance:
Dostoyevsky set himself an impossible challenge with The Idiot: "to portray a perfectly beautiful man." He modeled Myshkin partly on Christ and partly on Don Quixote — a pure soul in a corrupt world. Published serially in 1868-69, the novel explores whether genuine goodness is sustainable in human society. Dostoyevsky's answer is devastating: Myshkin's compassion for everyone ultimately helps no one and destroys himself. Akira Kurosawa's 1951 film adaptation transposed the story to post-war Japan. The novel remains Dostoyevsky's most debated work — simultaneously his most heartfelt and most troubling.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1869. Free to read and share.