The Idiot

Originally published in Russian as Idiot in 1868-69, The Idiot is a novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The "primitive" Prince Myshkin causes unease among the refined, traditional Yepanchin family and their associates. When Myshkin pays the Yepanchins a visit, his eccentric behavior and lack of concern for his looks make him an instant curiosity. His hosts' propensity for sensuality, materialism, and criminality provide a challenge to his sense of right and wrong. Although Myshkin's religion and luminous personality endear them to him at first, his message of service, compassion, and brotherly love ultimately falls flat.