A short novel by the novelist Dostoevsky, considered one of Dostoevsky's deeply intellectual works. It tells the story of a young man, a low-ranking employee, content with his fate despite his small salary and humble circumstances. His boss at work assigns him a large and extensive task, but he falls in love with an innocent girl and becomes preoccupied with his love, forgetting his work. The young man lives with his loyal friend, who loves him dearly. The young man exaggerates his mistake of being late in submitting his work to his master, considering it a crime against his benefactor. He overthinks things, becomes flustered, suffers from intense agitation, and then descends to the brink of madness, believing they will send him to military service as punishment.