Memories from the House of the Dead

Author's name: Dostoevsky

Translated by Sami Al-Daroubi

This book is the fruit of Dostoevsky's personal experience. He recounts what he himself suffered in prison, although he attributes the memoirs to a man he names Alexander Goryanchkov. He describes the feelings of loss of freedom and living among murderers and thieves who harbor intense hostility toward him because he belongs to the class of masters who oppress the people. However, Dostoevsky does not indulge in pessimism. Instead, over time, he begins to distinguish between the good and the evil, finding among the prisoners those whose crimes can be understood and even excused from a moral standpoint.

It presents us with a powerfully moving picture of prison life, including its hardships, sublime human relationships, exchange of benefits, and trade... things that are difficult to imagine. Dostoevsky criticizes the prison system, saying, "We must acknowledge the truth: these men possess wonderful treasures... They are perhaps among our people the most talented and the richest in energy, but their excellent talents have perished irretrievably. Who is to blame?"

As usual, Dostoyevsky descends in Memories from the House of the Dead into the deep recesses of the human soul, exploring its depths, a nature beyond the control of reason and beyond comprehension. He studies the psychology of the prisoner, his cruelty and his willingness to sacrifice everything he has for a gesture of human compassion and affection. He also studies the psychology of the executioner, who, even if he is the best of people, his heart hardens under the influence of habit, and he becomes a ferocious animal.

What they said about the novel Memories from the House of the Dead

These days I've been feeling very down, so I picked up *Memories from the House of the Dead* and reread it. I had forgotten much of it, but when I reread it I realized that in all modern literature there is not a single book that surpasses it, not even Pushkin's. What's great about it isn't the tone, but the point of view it contains. It's honest, natural, Christian. It's a book that teaches religion. If you see Dostoyevsky, tell him I love him. - Tolstoy