The Idiot (Dostoevsky)
Short Summary
St. Petersburg, Russia, approximately the late 1860s. Prince Lev Nikolaevich Muishkin returned from Switzerland after epilepsy treatment. He was kind-hearted, honest, and naive, with large blue eyes and a pale look.
In the city, Muishkin met Parfen Rogojin, a passionate and wealthy merchant's son obsessed with Nastasia Philipovna Barashkova, a beautiful, enigmatic woman with a troubled past. Both men competed for her affection.
Muishkin became close with the respectable Epanchin family, falling for their daughter Aglaya. However, his compassion for Nastasia complicated matters, resulting in turmoil. Despite proposing to Aglaya, he remained conflicted by his pity and concern for Nastasia.
On his wedding day to Nastasia, the unstable bride fled with Rogojin. Muishkin pursued them to St. Petersburg. Rogojin led him to Nastasia’s hidden body, confessing he killed her in jealousy, telling the prince,
I've covered her with oilcloth—best American oilcloth, and put the sheet over that, and four jars of disinfectant, on account of the smell—as they did at Moscow—you remember? And she's lying so still; you shall see, in the morning, when it's light.
Confronted with this horror, the prince collapsed, reverting into idiocy. Rogojin received hard labor in Siberia. Muishkin returned under medical care, his mind irreparably damaged, while Aglaya tragically married abroad unhappily.
Detailed Summary by Parts
Titles of parts and their division into sections are editorial.
Part 1. Prince Muishkin's Return to Russia
The Prince Arrives and Meets the Epanchins
In late November, Prince Lev Nikolaevich Muishkin returned to Russia after spending four years in a Swiss sanatorium where he was treated for epilepsy. On the train to St. Petersburg, he met Parfen Rogojin, a passionate merchant's son who had recently inherited a fortune and was obsessed with a beautiful woman named Nastasia Philipovna.
Upon arriving in St. Petersburg, the prince visited his distant relatives, the Epanchin family. General Epanchin was initially suspicious of the prince's motives but was impressed by his calligraphy skills and honesty. The prince revealed that he had no money and was seeking employment. The general introduced him to his secretary, Gavrila Ardalionovitch Ivolgin (Gania), and arranged for the prince to stay at Gania's family's lodgings.
The prince was then introduced to Lizabetha Prokofievna, the general's wife, and their three daughters: Alexandra, Adelaida, and Aglaya. Despite his awkward manners, the prince charmed them with his sincerity and stories about his life in Switzerland. He spoke about his experiences with the villagers, particularly a consumptive girl named Marie whom he had befriended and defended against the village's cruelty. The Epanchin women were moved by his tale and his genuine character.
One can tell a child everything, anything. I have often been struck by the fact that parents know their children so little. They should not conceal so much from them, because they consider them too young to understand!
At the Ivolgins' House and First Encounter with Nastasia Philipovna
The prince arrived at the Ivolgins' apartment, where he met Gania's family: his mother Nina Alexandrovna, his sister Varvara, his younger brother Colia, and his father General Ivolgin, a disgraced alcoholic who told fantastical stories. The prince also met Lukian Timofeyovitch Lebedeff, a cunning clerk, and Ferdishenko, a self-proclaimed truth-teller. The atmosphere in the household was tense due to Gania's impending marriage to Nastasia Philipovna, which his family strongly opposed.
Suddenly, Nastasia Philipovna herself arrived at the Ivolgins' apartment, causing great consternation. She was beautiful, enigmatic, and seemed to enjoy creating chaos. She mocked Gania and his family, particularly his sister Varvara, who openly despised her. The prince was immediately struck by Nastasia's beauty and the suffering evident in her face.
The situation escalated when Rogojin arrived with a rowdy entourage, offering Gania 100,000 roubles to give up Nastasia. Tensions reached a breaking point when Gania attempted to strike his sister for insulting Nastasia, but the prince intervened and was slapped by Gania instead. The prince's dignified response to this humiliation impressed both Rogojin and Nastasia. Before leaving, Nastasia whispered to Nina Alexandrovna that she was not the sort of woman she appeared to be.
The Scandalous Evening at Nastasia Philipovna's
That evening, Nastasia Philipovna was hosting a party where she was expected to announce her decision regarding her marriage to Gania. The prince, who had received an unexpected inheritance of nearly two million roubles, decided to attend. At the gathering were Totski (Nastasia's former guardian who had seduced her as a young girl), General Epanchin (who was secretly infatuated with her), Gania, Ferdishenko, and others.
The evening took a bizarre turn when Ferdishenko suggested a game where each person would recount their worst action. After several confessions, Nastasia suddenly asked the prince whether she should marry Gania. The prince advised against it. Nastasia then declared she would not marry Gania and returned the 75,000 roubles that Totski had given her as a dowry.
Rogojin then arrived with the promised 100,000 roubles. In a dramatic gesture, Nastasia threw the money into the fireplace and told Gania he could have it if he retrieved it with his bare hands. When Gania refused out of pride, Nastasia rescued the money herself and gave it to him, acknowledging his self-respect. The prince, moved by Nastasia's suffering, impulsively proposed marriage to her. Nastasia was touched by his sincerity but ultimately left with Rogojin, believing she would ruin the prince's life if she accepted his proposal.
I take you as a good, honest woman, Nastasia Philipovna—not as Rogojin's mistress."
"Who? I?—good and honest?"
"Yes, you."
"Oh, you get those ideas out of novels, you know. Times are changed now, dear prince; the world sees things as they really are...
Part 2. Prince Muishkin in Pavlofsk
Aftermath and New Acquaintances
Six months passed, during which the prince went to Moscow to handle his inheritance. Rumors circulated about his activities and his relationship with Nastasia Philipovna, who had fled from Rogojin multiple times. Meanwhile, the Epanchin family prepared to spend the summer in Pavlofsk, a fashionable suburb of St. Petersburg.
The prince returned to St. Petersburg and visited Lebedeff, who informed him that Nastasia Philipovna was staying with his sister-in-law and that Rogojin had been in town for three weeks. The prince then went to Rogojin's house, where they had an intense conversation about Nastasia. Rogojin confessed his obsessive love for her and his jealousy of the prince, whom he believed Nastasia truly loved. Despite their rivalry, they exchanged crosses as a symbol of brotherhood, and Rogojin took the prince to receive his mother's blessing.
Every soul is a mystery, and depths of mystery lie in the soul of a Russian. He had been intimate with Rogojin, for example, and a brotherly friendship had sprung up between them—yet did he really know him? What chaos and ugliness fills the world at times!
Later, while wandering through St. Petersburg, the prince felt he was being followed. As he returned to his hotel, he encountered Rogojin on the stairs, who appeared to be waiting to attack him with a knife. The prince cried out and collapsed in an epileptic fit. When he regained consciousness, he was taken to Lebedeff's villa in Pavlofsk to recover.
Reconnecting with the Epanchins
While recovering at Lebedeff's villa, the prince received a visit from the Epanchin family. They were concerned about his health and curious about his recent activities. During their conversation, Aglaya recited Pushkin's poem "The Poor Knight," seemingly directing it at the prince and changing the initials in the poem to N.P.B., which everyone recognized as referring to Nastasia Philipovna Barashkova.
The visit was interrupted by the arrival of a group of young men led by Antip Burdovsky, who claimed to be the son of Pavlicheff, the prince's former benefactor. Burdovsky demanded compensation, presenting a slanderous article about the prince that had been published in a newspaper. Despite the insulting nature of their claim, the prince treated them with kindness and offered to help Burdovsky, even after Gavrila Ardalionovitch proved that Burdovsky was not actually Pavlicheff's son.
The Evening Party and Hippolyte's Confession
Among Burdovsky's companions was Hippolyte Terentyev, a consumptive young man with only weeks to live. After the confrontation, Hippolyte remained at the prince's villa and read aloud a lengthy confession he had written, detailing his thoughts on life, death, and his impending mortality. His reading culminated in an attempted suicide, which failed when his pistol misfired.
The next morning, the prince met Aglaya in the park as she had requested. She confided in him her desire to escape her family and asked for his help. She also revealed that Nastasia Philipovna had been writing to her, urging her to marry the prince. Aglaya was both fascinated and repelled by Nastasia, and she demanded that the prince explain his feelings for her. The prince admitted that he felt pity rather than love for Nastasia, which seemed to satisfy Aglaya.
These moments, short as they are, when I feel such extreme consciousness of myself, and consequently more of life than at other times, are due only to the disease—to the sudden rupture of normal conditions.
Part 3. Rivalries and Revelations
Prince Muishkin and Aglaya
The relationship between the prince and Aglaya developed, though it was marked by her capricious behavior. She alternated between showing affection for the prince and mocking him. The Epanchin family began to consider him as a potential suitor for Aglaya, despite Lizabetha Prokofievna's initial reservations. The prince's naive honesty and goodness made him both endearing and frustrating to the family.
At a social gathering at the Epanchins' house, the prince made a poor impression by accidentally breaking a valuable Chinese vase and engaging in a passionate discourse on Catholicism, atheism, and the Russian soul. Despite this social blunder, Aglaya defended him and seemed to grow more attached to him. The next day, she sent him a hedgehog as a token of reconciliation, which delighted the prince.
Schneider said afterwards that he believed I was a child myself—just before I came away. 'You have the form and face of an adult,' he said, 'but as regards soul, and character, and perhaps even intelligence, you are a child.'
Growing Complications
The situation grew more complex when Nastasia Philipovna reappeared in Pavlofsk. During a public gathering at the Vauxhall, she created a scene by publicly accusing Evgenie Pavlovitch, a suitor of Aglaya's, of financial impropriety. The prince, caught between his feelings for Aglaya and his concern for Nastasia, found himself increasingly torn.
Meanwhile, General Ivolgin's condition deteriorated. He had been stealing money from Lebedeff and telling increasingly fantastical stories, including one about his supposed friendship with Napoleon. The prince treated him with kindness and respect, but the general eventually suffered a stroke and died, leaving his son Colia devastated.
Aglaya and Nastasia Philipovna's Confrontation
The tension between Aglaya and Nastasia Philipovna culminated in a direct confrontation. Aglaya arranged a meeting with Nastasia, insisting that the prince accompany her. At Nastasia's apartment, the two women engaged in a bitter exchange. Aglaya accused Nastasia of manipulating the prince and writing her letters out of vanity, while Nastasia claimed that she wanted the prince to be happy with Aglaya.
The confrontation escalated until Nastasia, in a fit of hysteria, demanded that the prince choose between them. When he expressed his pity for Nastasia's suffering, Aglaya interpreted this as a rejection and fled in anguish. Nastasia collapsed into the prince's arms, claiming him as her own, while Rogojin departed in silence. The prince was left comforting Nastasia, torn between his love for Aglaya and his compassion for Nastasia.
Part 4. The Final Tragedy
Aftermath of the Confrontation
Following the confrontation, the prince found himself engaged to Nastasia Philipovna, much to the dismay of the Epanchin family. Aglaya refused to see him, and society gossiped about his scandalous behavior. Evgenie Pavlovitch visited the prince and criticized him for his actions, suggesting that his idealism and naivety had led him to hurt Aglaya deeply. The prince admitted that he found Nastasia's face unbearable and that he was marrying her out of fear rather than love.
Nastasia herself was in a state of constant agitation, alternating between joy at her impending marriage and despair at the thought of ruining the prince's life. She was also terrified of Rogojin, who continued to pursue her. The prince, though committed to the wedding, made frequent unsuccessful attempts to see Aglaya, adding to the confusion and pain of all involved.
I believe that to execute a man for murder is to punish him immeasurably more dreadfully than is equivalent to his crime. A murder by sentence is far more dreadful than a murder committed by a criminal.
The Failed Wedding
On the day of the wedding, Nastasia Philipovna was initially excited about her wedding finery, motivated by a desire to impress and perhaps to be seen by Aglaya. However, as the ceremony approached, she became increasingly hysterical, questioning her decision to marry the prince. At the church, just as the ceremony was about to begin, Nastasia fled from the altar and ran to Rogojin, begging him to save her. Rogojin took her away, leaving the prince and the wedding guests in shock.
The prince reacted with surprising calmness, stating that Nastasia's flight was consistent with her character. He returned to his lodgings and later took the first train to St. Petersburg, determined to find Nastasia and ensure her safety. In St. Petersburg, he searched frantically for her, visiting her lodgings and Rogojin's house multiple times. Eventually, Rogojin approached him and led him to his house, where he had been hiding.
The Tragic End
At Rogojin's house, the prince discovered the terrible truth: Rogojin had murdered Nastasia Philipovna with a knife. Her body lay on a bed behind a curtain in Rogojin's study. Rogojin, now in a state of delirium, confessed to the murder and suggested they spend the night together watching over her body. The prince, overcome with grief and horror, agreed to stay with Rogojin.
It is strange to look on this dreadful picture of the mangled corpse of the Saviour, and to put this question to oneself: 'Supposing that the disciples, the future apostles...how could they have gazed upon the dreadful sight and yet have believed that He would rise again?'
The next morning, when people entered the room, they found Rogojin unconscious and feverish, and the prince in a state of complete mental breakdown. Rogojin was eventually tried for murder and sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor in Siberia. The prince, having relapsed into idiocy, was taken back to the Swiss sanatorium under the care of Dr. Schneider. Evgenie Pavlovitch visited him regularly and corresponded with Colia and Vera Lebedeff about his condition. The Epanchin family also visited him once, expressing their sorrow at his state. Aglaya, meanwhile, had eloped with a Polish count who turned out to be neither a count nor wealthy, and had become estranged from her family after converting to Catholicism.