In writing Fyodor Dostoevsky, Peter Leithart managed to craft a casual and easy read from weighty material. As with all good biographies, this book illuminates not only the man and his works, but also his place and time; this booktreats not only the important biographical details of Dostoevsky’s life, but also the shifting landscape of Russian faith, culture, and politics during Dostoevsky’s life time. Leithart achieves this by framing his biography as a conversation between Dostoevsky and a good friend, during which there are many flashbacks to important episodes in Dostoevsky’s life. This device also enables Leithart’s Dostoevsky to personally express his passion for Russia and for his belief that the cure for Russia’s (and mankind’s) ails is Christ.

Expecting a more conventionally-framed biography, it took me a few chapters to settle in to this book. My first, and inaccurate, impression was actually that it may have been intended for a younger audience as the beginning of Dostoevsky’s conversation with his friend reminded me of “youth” narrative biographies I read growing up. The ease of reading the book and depth of the content, however, won me over, and it was not long before I was enjoying becoming better acquainted with the man behind The Underground Man, Crime and Punishment, and The Brothers Karamazov. For its engaging tone and brisk pace as well as its serious treatment of the issues dear to Dostoevsky’s heart, I recommend this book to anyone who has read Dostoevsky’s books and would like to learn more about the man himself.

I received a free copy of this book from BookSneeze in exchange for a review. All opinions are entirely my own.