Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821–1881) was born to a despot possibly killed by his own serfs. Childhood epilepsy informs characters in both The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov. In 1849, as a liberal intellectual, Dostoyevsky was imprisoned in Siberia and forced into the army. A different writer emerged: devoted to Russian culture, psychologically rigorous, and politically conservative, he conceived tortured characters and existential themes. He died from a seizure.
WORKS THAT HAVE APPEARED IN NARRATIVE:
- The Gambler, Part 3, a novel serialization, in Stories of the Week: 2011–2012
- The Gambler, Part 2, a novel serialization, in Stories of the Week: 2011–2012
- The Gambler, Part 1, a novel serialization, in Stories of the Week: 2011–2012
- White Nights, a short story, in Stories of the Week: 2008–2009