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The Double

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About this listen

First published in 1846, Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novella The Double is a classic doppelganger story and the second major work published by the author. It is the story of Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, a government clerk who believes that a fellow clerk has taken over his identity and is determined to bring about his ruin. Considered the most Gogolesque of Dostoyevsky's works, the novella brilliantly depicts Golyadkin's descent into madness in a way that is hauntingly poetic. The Double illustrates Dostoyevsky's uncanny ability at capturing the complexity of human emotion, especially the darker side of the human psyche.

Public Domain (P)2012 AudioGO Anthologies & Short Stories Classics Fiction Short Stories
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I can see why Nabokov liked this above all of FD’s books, it is the only one that comes close to being similar to Nabokov’s own social satire, portrayed through a richly ambiguous and comic character.

Dostoyevsky’s most Nabokovian novel

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I found this story to be a strange and uncomfortable experience, but also interesting due to it being a different experience. It portrayed the madness very convincingly.

Strange and unusual story

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Worth every second. Dostoevsky paints his characters so vividly, no movie could compare. The hero is unsettled in an excruciating way which is fascinating

Brilliant

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Amazingly accurate description of a person descending into paranoid schizophrenia at a time when such matters were very poorly understood.

Genius

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Having always struggled with the Russian names when reading Dostoevsky this audio version is the perfect solution. This is an amazing story which feels totally contemporary in its exploration of identity, mental health and fragile nature of our lives and grip on reality. At time very disturbing it also has the dark humour of Kafka or Ionesco. I loved the reader and the clarity of the recording. 5 stars all round.

This feels so contemporary.

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