Book Review: Notes From A Dead House

Notes from a Dead House
by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Review by Sam

Dostoevsky’s Notes provide an enthralling insight into his life in a Tsarist Siberian labour camp. He uses the narrative stand-in character of Goryanchikov as a proxy for his own experiences, giving the book a sense of dramatic flair without compromising its historical relevance. The depictions of the other inmates, from both the serf and nobility classes, are grounded and colourful (though rife with the prejudices of the time). Further, his descriptions of the Siberian landscape and the life of the inmates at work and at ‘home’ are thoroughly engaging. Dostoevsky’s writing is clear yet detailed, with the fictionalized memoir style providing well-needed structure.

Don’t be turned away by the book being classic Russian literature (which can definitely be harder to digest) – this translation in particular was absolutely stellar. I highly recommend this book to fans of Dostoevsky or his contemporaries (such as Tolstoy), fans of Solzhenitsyn, or those interested in the darker side of Russian history. I’d also suggest looking into the background of the book (which is explored very interestingly in the foreword) as well as Dostoevsky himself for further exploration of the novel’s themes and ideas.