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 endured in prison, although he attributes the memoirs to a man named Alexander Goryantshikov. He describes the feelings of losing freedom, living with murderers and thieves who harbor intense hatred towards him because he belongs to the class of masters who oppress the sons of the people. But Dostoevsky does not drown in pessimistic feelings; over time, he begins to distinguish between the wicked and the righteous, and finds among the prisoners those whose crimes can be understood or even morally excused. He presents a powerful image of prison life, including suffering, noble human relationships, exchanges of benefits, trade... and things that are hard to imagine. Dostoevsky directs criticism at the prison system, saying "We must acknowledge the truth: these men possess wonderful treasures... and perhaps among our people, they are the most talented and the most capable, but their exceptional talents have perished forever. Who is the guilty one?" As usual, Dostoevsky plunges into the deep depths of the human soul, exploring what is in its core from a nature that neither reason controls nor perceives. He studies the psyche of the prisoner in his harshness and his readiness to give everything he has in exchange for a gesture of compassion and human kindness. He also studies the psyche of the executioner, who, if he is among the good people, has his heart hardened by habit, so he becomes a broken creature... "I felt very distressed these days, so I took up the book 'Memories 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 modern literature that surpasses it, not even Pushkin's works. It is not the tone that is wonderful, but the perspective it contains; it is a truthful, natural, Christian book. It teaches religion. So if you see Dostoevsky, tell him I love him." — Tolstoy about the novel