Fyodor Dostoevsky – Book Review

Fyodor Dostoevsky by Peter Leithart is part of Thomas Nelson Publisher’s biography series, Christian Encounters. I received this book for free, in exchange for reviewing it. I knew that Fyodor Dostoevsky was an author of classic books, but I had never read any of his books, nor knew anything about him, or that he was a Christian. It was interesting to me to read about an author before reading any of his books. This book made it clear that he wove his life experiences into his novels.

This book is about Fyodor’s life, which mainly from with conversations with his friend, and flashbacks during these conversations. Before the first chapter begins, it states that the conversations took place when Fyodor was in his twenties. However, in some flashbacks, it was not always clear what age he was, and I would have liked to have been given that information. Some scenes were also difficult to understand.

Fyodor was a complicated person and I was surprised to learn of his multiple marriages and affairs. Even though he made poor decisions, he was always faithful to God. Having known virtually nothing about this author, I do believe I now have a small glimpse into his life. Although I do not feel like I was able to fully grasp the subject’s life, as I have been able to do to in other biographies, I know more than I did before I began this book.

This book was interesting and I was again reminded that just because someone is a Christian, doesn’t mean they will never “mess up.” I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about classic authors or to anyone who has read any of Dostoevsky’s works. Learning about his life will give you a greater understanding of his books.