The Idiot

The titular hero of The Idiot is Prince Myshkin, a Christ-like figure whose essential goodness and decency are brought into conflict with the materialistic and decidedly un-Christian world of 19th century Russia. The narrative drags at times and the non-Myshkin characters are poorly developed, but its themes have real depth that reflect Dostoevsky’s desire to reconcile his Christian beliefs with modern Russia. And the book’s chaotic nature is actually a feature, not a flaw, and gives it a unique, almost post-modern structure unlike anything else in his body of work.