num_pages: 112
description: As both a masterpiece of Russian populist writing and a parody of the entire genre, Poor People is an early example of Dostoevsky’s genius. Written as a series of letters, Poor People tells the tragic tale of a petty clerk and his impossible love for a young girl. Longing to help her and her family, he sells everything he can, but his kindness leads him only into more desperate poverty, and ultimately into debauchery. As a typical ?man of the underground,” he serves as the embodiment of the belief that happiness can only be achieved with riches.
language: English
title: Poor People
titlecomplete: Poor People (Hesperus Classics)
characters: Varvara Dobroselova, Makar Devushkin
genres: Classics, Philosophy, Russia, Novels, Russian Literature, Classic Literature, Romance, Literature, 19th Century, Fiction
ratings_count: 28371
places: St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
publisher: Hesperus Pr