Memories from the House of the Dead - Dostoevsky

This book is the fruit of a personal experience lived by Dostoevsky, as he talks about what he himself suffered in prison, even though he attributes the memoirs to a man named Alexander Goryantshkov. It describes feelings of losing freedom, living with murderers and thieves who harbor intense hostility towards him because he belongs to the class of masters who oppress the people. But Dostoevsky does not drown in pessimistic feelings; over time, he begins to distinguish between the wicked and the good, and finds among the prisoners those whose crimes can be understood or even forgiven from an ethical point of view. He presents a powerful image of prison life, including suffering, noble human relationships, mutual benefits, and trade... and things that are hard to imagine. Dostoevsky directs criticism to the prison system, saying, "We must acknowledge the truth: these men possess wonderful treasures... and perhaps among our people, they are among the most talented and richest in energy, but their excellent qualities have been lost forever. Who is to blame?" As usual, Dostoevsky plunges into the deep depths of the human soul, exploring the nature within it that neither reason controls nor perceives. He studies the psyche of the prisoner in his harshness and his readiness to give everything he owns in exchange for a gesture of kindness and human affection. He also studies the psyche of the executioner, who, if he is among the good people, has his heart hardened by habit, turning him into a ferocious animal. ... "I felt very distressed these days, so I took the book 'Memoirs from the House of the Dead' and reread it. I had forgotten much of it, so when I reread it, I realized that there is not a single book in all of modern literature that surpasses it, not even Pushkin’s writings. It’s not the tone that is wonderful, but the perspective it contains; it is honest, natural, Christian. It is a book that teaches religion. So if you see Dostoevsky, tell him I love him." Tolstoy about the novel. Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky Number of pages: 432 Publisher: Dar Al-Tanweer