Young Americans Like Dostoevsky as His Novels Depict Reality of Now, Associate Professor Says
15:32 GMT 11.11.2021 (Updated: 18:32 GMT 11.11.2021)
© Sputnik / Galina Kiselyova
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Young Americans like the literary legacy of the renowned Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky because his apocalyptic novels reflect present-day reality, US researcher of Dostoevsky’s works and Associate Professor at the University of Virginia, Andrew Kaufman, told Sputnik.
On November 11, Dostoevsky fans around the world will celebrate 200 years of his birth. Dostoevsky is the author of the novels "Crime and Punishment," "The Idiot," "The Brothers Karamazov," "Gambler," "Demons" and other literary masterpieces that have brought him world fame.
"I do see a strong interest for Dostoevsky among American students. His feverish, apocalyptic novels depict a reality that is all too familiar to us now," Kaufman said.
The professor pointed out that Dostoevsky’s fictional work is largely defined by a profound struggle between good and evil, between ideological warriors who insist they have a monopoly on the truth.
"Such a vision of life reminds young people of this moment, this often dystopian world they live in today: a world of incessant struggle and marked by profound social injustice," Kaufman said.
On November 17, Kaufman will present his book - "The Gambler Wife: A True Story of Love, Risk, and the Woman Who Saved Dostoyevsky," during a virtual event hosted by Brandeis University.
Kaufman said he is of the opinion that, in fact, more young people in the United States like Dostoevsky than Leo Tolstoy.
"For years, I tried to change their minds as I was - and remain - a great admirer of Tolstoy, having written two books on him, but I now understand why Dostoevsky resonates so powerfully," he said.
Kaufman said he has been reading Dostoevsky for years, but was able to appreciate the full extent of his genius and relevance to present time only when he began to work with young incarcerated people.
"These young men grapple mightily with feelings of guilt, a desire for redemption and to be reintegrated into the human family," he said. "They don't want their entire lives to be defined by the worst thing they ever did. They continually ask: Where is the person with a heart capacious enough to love them without judgment in spite of the terrible mistakes they once made."
Kaufman pointed out that the central theme in Dostoevsky's writings is the freedom to change as are the radical compassion for the fellow human beings regardless of how far they have sunk morally or socially.
Asked about the most popular masterpieces of Dostoevsky in North America, Kaufman mentioned "The Brothers Karamazov" and "Crime and Punishment."
"I personally think ‘Demons’ is eerily relevant to this political moment, but it is still less well known than the other two," he said.
Robin Miller, professor of Russian literature at the Brandeis University, expressed confidence in a resurgence of interest in Dostoevsky’s works among students and readers outside academia in the United States.
"My sense is that the most often Dostoevsky books read by students are ‘Notes from Underground,’ ‘Crime and Punishment’ and ‘The Brothers Karamazov,’" she said.
At the same time, however, scholars seem to be turning more to "Notes from the House of the Dead" along with "The Idiot" and "The Adolescent," Miller added.
Archpriest Michael van Opstall of the St. George Russian Orthodox Church in the US state of Utah also believes Dostoevsky's novels are timeless.
"Dostoevsky’s legacy, even though he was writing about people that lived in a very particular period, exists almost outside of time. Dostoevsky always feels fresh to me," van Opstall said.
Van Opstall said he and the believers in his church will commemorate Dostoevsky by holding a panikhida - a special memorial service on the 200 year anniversary of his birth.
"Dostoevsky was an Orthodox Christian," he said. "We are not treating Dostoevsky as a saint by any means, but we can hold a memorial service for him and talk about his books after the service - and I think that is a good thing."
In fact, Van Opstall said he was so inspired by Dostoevsky’s novels during his youth that he decided to become an Orthodox Christian.
"One of my philosophy professors was very much encouraging me to read Dostoevsky’s novels," he said. "That eventually got me when looking to visit an Orthodox church, specifically to go to a church of the Russian tradition, especially after I read ‘The Brothers Karamazov.’ It reflected a lot of my own faith."
Van Opstall said as a very young man he was attracted to how novels like "Crime and Punishment" and "Demons" show how God intervenes through their conscience.
"I think his novels very much show life the way it is and that there are many dark sides to life," he said.
Van Opstall agreed with the often heard assertion that Dostoevsky is now the most popular Russian writer in the United States.
"I think it is probably true. I think that Dostoevsky’s writings are very relevant to many things going on in the world," he said.
