October 30, 2019

Dostoyevsky's Birthday in 10 Dark Quotes


Dostoyevsky's Birthday in 10 Dark Quotes
Fyodor the Quotable One wikimedia.org

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky is one of the best-known names in Russian literature. Folks who know very little about Russia usually know about a dark, dismal book called Crime and Punishment, and Russians and Russophiles know its author as a profound thinker on social, political, spiritual, and psychological issues. His lengthy novels and other works explore complex situations and give voice to thousands of characters, each with a unique story to tell. Dostoyevsky is crucial to the literary patchwork of nineteenth-century Russian society, and the philosophical and narrative depth of his writings continue to ring true today. 

In honor of his 198th birthday, here are ten quotes to celebrate the life and writings of Fyodor Dostoyevsky. They may not boost your mood, but they'll get you thinking – and that, after all, is the goal of any great writer.  

  1. “But how could you live and have no story to tell?”
    White Nights (1848)

  2. “Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” 
    The Brothers Karamazov (1880)

  3. “It is better to be unhappy and know the worst, than to be happy in a fool's paradise.”
    The Idiot

  4. “Two times two equals five is sometimes a very charming little thing.”
    Notes from Underground (1864)

  5. “Once it's been proved to you that you're descended from an ape, it's no use pulling a face; just accept it. Once they've proved to you that a single droplet of your own fat must be dearer to you than a hundred thousand of your fellow human beings and consequently that all so-called virtues and duties are nothing but ravings and prejudices, then accept that too, because there's nothing to be done.
    Notes from Underground (1864)

  6. “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.”
    Notes from a Dead House (1862)

  7. “To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's.”
    Crime and Punishment (1866)

  8. “It was a marvelous night, the sort of night one only experiences when one is young. The sky was so bright, and there were so many stars that, gazing upward, one couldn't help wondering how so many whimsical, wicked people could live under such a sky.” 
    White Nights (1848)

  9. “On our Earth we can only love with suffering and through suffering. We cannot love otherwise, and we know of no other sort of love. I want suffering in order to love. I long, I thirst, this very instant, to kiss with tears the earth that I have left, and I don't want, I won't accept life on any other!"
    The Dream of a Ridiculous Man  (1877)

  10. “If you want to overcome the whole world, overcome yourself.”
    Demons (1872)

 

You Might Also Like

Dostoyevsky the Gambler
  • September 01, 2013

Dostoyevsky the Gambler

In September 1863, Fyodor Dostoyevsky was desperate for money. The result was one of his finest works, the novel The Gambler. It would change the writer's fate in many ways.
Fyodor Mikhailovich
  • November 01, 2006

Fyodor Mikhailovich

Dostoyevsky is treasured the world over for his psychological novels, many written under hurried deadlines. We look at his life and art, and talk to his relatives.
Fyodor Dostoevsky
  • October 24, 2001

Fyodor Dostoevsky

The tormented and, often, tragic life of Russia's great 19th century author of masterpieces such as The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Russian Rules

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955