Fyodor Dostoevsky

Written by Peter J. Leithart

Narrated by John Behrens

In his twenties, Fydor Dostoevsky, son of a Moscow doctor, graduate of a military academy, and rising star of Russian literature, found himself standing in front of a firing squad, accused of subversive activities against the Russian Tsar. Then the drums rolled, signaling that instead he was to be exiled to the living death of Siberia.
Siberia was so cold the mercury froze in the thermometer. In prison, Dostoevsky was surrounded by murderers, thieves, parricides, and brigands who drank heavily, quarreled incessantly, and fought with horrible brutality. However, while "prisoners were piled on top of each other in the barracks, and the floor was matted with an inch of filth," Dostoevsky learned a great deal about the human condition that was to impact his writing as nothing had before.
To absorb Dostoevsky's remarkable life in these pages is to encounter a man who not only examined the quest of God, the problem of evil, and the suffering of innocents in his writing but also drew inspiration from his own deep Christian faith in giving voice to the common people of his nation... and ultimately the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Feb 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9781599510873

Peter J. Leithart

Peter J. Leithart (PhD, University of Cambridge) is President of Theopolis Institute and serves as Teacher at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. He is the author of several books, including?The Kingdom and the Power, Creator: A Theological Interpretation of Genesis 1,?Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom, and?Baptism: A Guide from Life to Death.

Reviews for Fyodor Dostoevsky

[samcivy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fyodor DostoevskyChristian Encounter SeriesPeter Leithart © 2011Thomas Nelson PublishersISBN 978-1-59555-034-7 175 pp. plus bibliography and Notes (ppbk)This brief biography brings Dostoevsky alive through his experiences, speeches and relationships. Wrongly accused of being a political dissident he was imprisoned for four years in Siberia. There he says he fully found Christ and developed his personal philosophy of life--that every person in every nation deserves respect because some of Christ can be found in almost everyone.. He loved Russia deeply and was dismayed by atheistic voices leading young Russians astray. He also spoke against divisions between individuals and nations. He became one of Russia’s most loved novelists, often portraying characters who learned, often through great trials and wrong choices, that following Christ was the way to live. His writing and conversations became his methods of teaching about God. Although a Christian he sometimes failed woefully to follow the Lord and finally decided that was only possible when we reached heaven. He was never afraid to speak about the importance of living for Christ even when ridiculed. This great Russian writer suffered from poor health most of his life but wrote diligently, often all night.An interesting book although some of Dostoevsky’s speeches that are quoted were several pages long. The speeches do reveal this man’s heart. His reputation is still outstanding in our present age.

[eheinlen_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is very interesting. Not only does it provide you with background information on Dostoevsky's life, but it does it in such a way that you forget that you are reading a historical biography and, instead, you find yourself lost in the story. Definitely, the best way to teach students about his life. I recommend it!That being said, I think it should be noted that the reader needs to get passed the first portion of the book without putting it down before they can really enjoy it. I found the first portion to be very trying and I hate the images of Dostoevsky that the writer created in my head at the beginning. I found him to grate on my nerves (Dostoevsky, not the author). Of course, that's probably how Dostoevsky really was, so it's not the author's fault. That being said, once you get past that portion and you get into the story, you begin to learn why he is the way that he is and you begin to accept Dostoevsky as a flawed and brilliant man. This knowledge makes him a little less grating and a little more likeable (but not by much). Regardless, it was a great book!