The Idiot

By: Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Narrated by: Constantine Gregory

Prince Lyov Nikolayevitch Myshkin is one of the great characters in Russian literature. Is he a saint or just naïve? Is he an idealist or, as many in General Epanchin's society feel, an "idiot"? Certainly his return to St. Petersburg after years in a Swiss clinic has a dramatic effect on the beautiful Aglaia, youngest of the Epanchin daughters, and on the charismatic but willful Nastasya Filippovna. As he paints a vivid picture of Russian society, Dostoyevsky shows how principles conflict with emotions - with tragic results.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2017 Naxos AudioBooks

incredible

very appropriate reader with an impressive
varied skillset of impersonations. his fluidity in reading is excellent too.
the novel is top notch too

Worth it; so worth listening to.

Dostoyevsky is classic. I have to go now and either read or listen to the rest of his works. So much coming from one's own mind and observations in life. Well worth it.

personal but ...

this was my first meeting with the idiot. since english is not my native lang it was hard to comprehend the value end whole of the story. sometimes i got lost in the plot due to it hectic? nature. Nevertheless it was very personal on one side with epilepsy descriptions and dostoyevskis beliefs impersonated in myshkin and strangely symbolic as well, f e the main protagonist is Lion Mouse (Lev Mushkin) and should be(?) interpreted as holy , Christ ...
i have more to say but i need to read this book once more

Dostoyevsky fan!

First of all Constantine Gregory is one of the best narrator . His voice and ability to do multiple characters and accent is admirable. I am huge fan of Dostoyevsky and this is my 3rd book. One can not help to fall in love with Prince Myshkin! Drama, symbolism, virtue and tragedy are the important keys in this lovely story. Well done!!

Great story and performance

The story line was unique and the performance was outstanding. We rated it a 4 overall because there were many characters, each with multiple Russian names, and it was hard to keep track if them. Also, the story line dragged at times. We would recommend this unique book that gives the reader a glimpse of the fading Russian monarchy.

Ending a little disappointing

After listening to hours of build up to the climax and conclusions, after struggling to understand the intracacies of relations in the Russian aristocracy, how a certain posture or accent of a word could lead to an hour of examination of intent………, I feel the same as I did after devoting six seasons of my time to LOST, the journey was fascinating, but the conclusion was, oh so lacking, nowhere near to being equal to the buildup. I am no expert of Russian literature. No doubt someone will remark that I failed to appreciate the intricacies of the intertwined relations, navel gazing, the realities of life in the Russian Aristocracy in the pre-Lenin days, and discard my comments as those of a newbie. I did enjoy the Brothers Karamazov and Anna Karenina.

Exactly like LOST, the Idiot had such a build up of unanswered questions one hoped the conclusion would answer them. Both failed on that mark. Maybe I am supposed to say, oh how brilliant of Dostoyevsky to come up with an unsatisfying ending. I can’t. As a hayseed country boy, I was left wondering if the author was in a hurry to complete the work and just threw together a quick semi-satisfactory.

Sorry Dostoyevsky. I know you are dead and all, and I am supposed to respect you as a literary genius, but something is lost in the translation of your work in language and after 130 years.

I still rate the story fairly high. I just think it could have been better.

Yooooo

Yooooooooooooo. Yoooooo
Yo wtf man yoooooo
Btw u dont pronounce the “c” in “scion”. Mr. Gregory

A tragedy of young life lost amidst sorrow

Following the life of a young man, stricken by epilepsy we share in his joys of love, cry with his sorrow, and love him like a brother. Though he is marked as an Idiot by his illness, nothing could be farther than the truth as we see his astute ability to read people and care deeper than any other member of high society. This book is a true Russian tragedy with love, heartbreak and death.

Dostoyevsky strikes again!

I can’t believe how deep and related the story is to Don Quixote and War and Peace. He spins a wonderfully creative story that allows him to critique Russian society and the Catholic Church. He again forms such great ideas on religion and atheism through his character’s story arcs. He is a master and by far my favorite author. Each book has similar themes but presented in new ways to offer a different perspective. Intellectually curious without forcing you to reread every line. He casually weaves thoughtful discussions into his stories with impactful characters who capture human expression.

Narrator Gregory is up to the task.

Dostoyevsky’s words matter. There are no car chases or sex scenes. His stories are a psychological and philosophical examination of life, which can be ruined by a reader who doesn’t “get it”. I purchased 2 versions