Бедные люди
In October 1846 Dostoevsky wrote to his brother Mikhail that his short story "Mr. Prokharchin" was well-received, and that he was continuing to work on "Saved Sidewhiskers" for Vissarion Belinsky. The idea for "The Landlady" already existed at that point, and three days later he again wrote to Mikhail saying that the proposed "Saved Sidewhiskers" would be shelved as he wanted to introduce a new style, and that "more original, lively and bright thoughts were asking to be put on paper". He later pointed out the favourable similarities between the progress of "The Landlady" and that of his first novel, "Poor Folk".