The Idiot

Interesting Facts

• The main character, Prince Myshkin, suffers from epilepsy, as did Dostoevsky himself.
• Prince Myshkin is often compared to Christ due to his kindness and naivety.
• The novel was written during a period when Dostoevsky was in financial difficulty and under pressure from publishers.
• The action of the novel mainly takes place in St. Petersburg and Pavlovsk.
• The character Rogozhin symbolizes the darker sides of human nature and passion.
• The novel raises questions about the nature of good and evil, as well as the role of suffering in human life.
• Dostoevsky wrote the novel in Geneva and Milan, which influenced its mood and themes.
• Prince Myshkin returns to Russia after a long treatment in Switzerland.
• The novel was published in the journal "The Russian Messenger" in 1868-1869.