A Curse on Dostoevsky
*Starred Review* A subtle English translation delivers a French novel written by an Afghan novelist inspired by a Russian masterpiece. In a rare imaginative feat, Rahimi re-creates the superman-murderer Raskolnikov in the passionate Rassoul, a tortured soul living out his own tale of crime and punishment on the streets of Kabul. As he lifts an axe against the madam who has prostituted his beloved Sophia, this introspective protagonist recognizes that he has plunged into the same turbid depths he previously contemplated as a student of Dostoevsky. Rahim indeed deftly plays off Dostoevsky’s themes as he probes not only the killer’s individual conscience but also the collective moral and spiritual dilemmas of his native land. These dilemmas reflect the tragic consequences of protracted war pitting Soviet invaders galvanized by Communist ideology against native mujahideen steeped in ancient tradition and fired by Islamic zeal. In his quest for expiation and forgiveness, Rassoul finds hope in Sophia, just as Raskolnikov does in Sonja. In his hero’s searing self-examination, Rahimi renews many of Dostoevsky’s original psychological insights and opens piercing new ones. Unforgettable. --Bryce Christensen