Skip to content
Artwork for The Dostoyevsky Library

The Dostoyevsky Library

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Enter a quiet room of conscience and conflict, where every word presses against the soul. The Dostoyevsky Library offers unabridged readings of the great novels, not as mere stories, but as confessions whispered in the dark. Here, restless minds wander through guilt and grace, doubt and redemption, while the human heart stands exposed in all its fragile contradictions.

Listen as each chapter unfolds slowly, like footsteps echoing through a winter street. These readings invite you to linger with princes and prisoners, dreamers and sinners, and to ask, as Dostoyevsky always asked: what does it mean to be free, to suffer, to believe? This is not simply a podcast - it is a vigil beside the restless spirit of humanity itself.
Play
  • 85 episodes
  • daily
  • Avg 16 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • S13 · E10
    August 26 · 18 min

    Poor Folk June 1st Addendum 2 Part 1 Barbara

    In which a humble and cautious old man gingerly navigates the fragile mood of his son during quiet visits, while a young woman wrestles with feelings of inadequacy and longing as she discovers the scholarly world of her taciturn tutor. Through moments...

    • Transcript
  • S13 · E9
    August 26 · 13 min

    Poor Folk June 1st Addendum 1 Barbara

    In which we are introduced to the cramped and troubled household shared with Anna, a woman whose outward style conceals a harsh and unkind disposition, whilst the narrator’s mother’s health slowly declines under the strain of their difficult life....

    • Transcript
  • S13 · E8
    August 25 · 1 min

    Poor Folk June 1st Barbara

    In which a young woman recounts the gentle joys and subsequent sorrows of her childhood, tracing her movement from a rural estate to the somber confines of a St. Petersburg boarding school, where she faces a harsh new world and the slow unraveling of...

    • Transcript
  • S13 · E7
    August 25 · 4 min

    Poor Folk May 20th Makar

    In which a gentle, heartfelt letter is penned by Makar Dievushkin to the convalescent Barbara, tenderly conveying his concern, affection, and the trials of navigating society’s whispers. Through his warm words and poetic musings, we discern a quiet...

    • Transcript
  • S13 · E6
    August 24 · 2 min

    Poor Folk April 25th Barbara

    In which a young woman, weighed down by sorrow and reproach, recounts a painful encounter with her estranged cousin whose harsh words cast shadows upon her honour and misfortunes. She confides in her dear correspondent, seeking solace amidst the...

    • Transcript
  • S13 · E5
    August 24 · 11 min

    Poor Folk April 12th Makar

    In which Makar Dievushkin tenderly recounts to his dear Barbara Alexievna the bleak and squalid conditions of his lodging-house, painting a vivid picture of its worn inhabitants, the weary household, and the oppressive atmosphere that pervades the...

    • Transcript
  • S13 · E4
    August 23 · 2 min

    Poor Folk April 9th Barbara

    In which a weary and ailing Barbara Dobroselova pens a heartfelt letter to her dear friend Makar Alexievitch, seeking to soothe misunderstandings and assure him of her profound gratitude and unwavering respect. Her words reveal the tender struggles of...

    • Transcript
  • S13 · E3
    August 23 · 10 min

    Poor Folk April 8th Makar II

    In which a humble and ageing clerk, touched by a rare moment of sentiment, pours forth a letter to his orphaned relative, revealing his simple joys, quiet sorrows, and the tender sense of duty he feels towards her. The letter softly unveils the...

    • Transcript
  • S13 · E2
    August 22 · 5 min

    Poor Folk April 8th Barbara

    In which the gentle exchange of letters unfolds a delicate tapestry of friendship and tender concern, revealing the quiet sacrifices and heartfelt anxieties of two souls distant yet deeply intertwined. The narrative, steeped in humble surroundings and...

    • Transcript
  • S13 · E1
    August 22 · 14 min

    Poor Folk April 8th Makar

    In which a devoted and tender-hearted gentleman conveys his heartfelt happiness at a small, shared signal between himself and his beloved, while describing his modest new lodgings amidst a lively and diverse household. He reflects gently upon the...

    • Transcript
  • S12 · E17
    August 21 · 10 min

    The Permanent Husband Chapter 17

    In which our erstwhile friend Velchaninoff, newly restored in vigour and fortune, encounters an old companion amid the transient theatre of a railway station, where polite society mingles uneasily with the imperfections of human nature. Their meeting,...

    • Transcript
  • S12 · E16
    August 20 · 17 min

    The Permanent Husband Chapter 16

    In which Velchaninoff emerges from a harrowing ordeal with a bruised hand and a restless mind, ruminating on the complex emotions and intentions that have entwined his fate with Pavel Pavlovitch’s, and the strange affinity that binds them beyond...

    • Transcript
  • S12 · E15
    August 20 · 17 min

    The Permanent Husband Chapter 15

    In which the sombre pains of a frail body intertwine with the twisting tempers and uneasy hospitality shared between two men, one burdened by illness and the other by restless spite and veiled intentions. Through fevered thoughts and a sudden struggle...

    • Transcript
  • S12 · E14
    August 19 · 16 min

    The Permanent Husband Chapter 14

    In which a confident young gentleman named Alexander Loboff arrives uninvited to confront Pavel Pavlovitch about a certain lady, asserting a claim of troth and demanding the older man's withdrawal with a mixture of youthful insolence and earnest...

    • Transcript
  • S12 · E13
    August 19 · 17 min

    The Permanent Husband Chapter 13

    In which the weary heart of Velchaninoff endures a tumultuous evening marked by uneasy company and unspoken grievances, revealing the fragile threads of pride, resentment, and misplaced trust that bind men of different worlds. Whilst passions flare...

    • Transcript
  • S12 · E12
    August 18 · 32 min

    The Permanent Husband Chapter 12

    In which a visit to the respectable Zachlebnikoff household unfolds with social intricacies, punctuated by the uneasy presence of Pavel Pavlovitch and the spirited young ladies who surround him. Velchaninoff’s arrival stirs varied emotions and subtle...

    • Transcript
  • S12 · E11
    August 18 · 21 min

    The Permanent Husband Chapter 11

    In which two old acquaintances unexpectedly cross paths beneath a soft evening sky, leading to an uneasy exchange wrapped in curious intentions and delicate proposals. The narrative unfolds through furtive confidences and social manoeuvres, evoking...

    • Transcript
  • S12 · E10
    August 17 · 16 min

    The Permanent Husband Chapter 10

    In which the fragile light of hopeful affection is swiftly overshadowed by the grievous shadow of loss, as Velchaninoff endures the heart-wrenching decline and death of little Liza amidst a swirl of anguish and despair. Amid the somber aftermath, a...

    • Transcript
  • S12 · E9
    August 17 · 17 min

    The Permanent Husband Chapter 9

    In which the beleaguered Velchaninoff confronts the dissolute Pavel Pavlovitch, wrestling with a mixture of anger and reluctant pity as he attempts to secure the latter's presence for a critical matter involving family distress. The night unfolds with...

    • Transcript
  • S12 · E8
    August 16 · 13 min

    The Permanent Husband Chapter 8

    In which Velchaninoff's troubled thoughts are overshadowed by the pitiable plight of young Liza and the erratic behaviour of her reckless father, Pavel Pavlovitch, whose disorderly existence casts a long shadow over their fragile hopes. As illness and...

    • Transcript
Showing 41–60 of 85 episodes