The Idiot [Tantor] cover art

The Idiot [Tantor]

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The Idiot [Tantor]

By: Fyodor Dostoevsky
Narrated by: Norman Dietz
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About this listen

Just two years after completing Crime and Punishment, which explored the mind of a murderer, Fyodor Dostoevsky produced another masterpiece: The Idiot. This time the author portrays a truly beautiful soul and one of Dostoevsky's greatest characters---Prince Muishkin, a saintly, Christ-like, yet deeply human figure. The story begins when Muishkin arrives on Russian soil after a stay in a Swiss sanatorium. Scorned by St. Petersburg society as an idiot for his generosity and innocence, the prince finds himself at the center of a struggle between a rich, kept woman and a beautiful, virtuous girl, who both hope to win his affection. Unfortunately, Muishkin's very goodness seems to bring disaster to everyone he meets. The shocking denouement tragically reveals how, in a world obsessed with money, power, and sexual conquest, a sanatorium is the only place for a saint. This version of The Idiot is the translation by Eva Martin.

Public Domain (P)2010 Tantor Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Russia Crime Royalty
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A strange, very American translation, but if you don't mind the characters being referred to as "in a funk" etc., you might enjoy this. From all the narrators I listened to, I'd say this is the best one, but, again, the strong American accent got in the way for me.
I listened to it straight after having listened to Constantine Gregory's rendition of The Brothers Karamazov - and neither the story nor the rendition hold up a candle to The Idiot, a bit disappointing, but still worthwhile.

The Idiot - an American Version

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