I have no problem with accepting that this is a profound and illuminating work of academic rigour but quite frankly it was beyond me. Perhaps I am simply not clever enough. Or perhaps I’m just not the intended readership. Essentially I found it pretty much impenetrable most of the time, with its meandering musings and academic jargon. At times it seemed almost a parody of what academic writing is, so full was it of long convoluted sentences and opaque ideas. Eventually I admitted defeat and gave up – sadly, as I am a lover of Russian literature and admire Dostoevsky. Although to be fair I find him pretty impenetrable at times….

In this book, Julia Kristeva offers a deeply personal exploration of Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Kristeva's admiration and ambivalence toward Dostoyevsky are palpable throughout the book, as she delves into his novels, journalism, and psyche. Her style, as translated here by Armine Kotin Mortimer, is poetic and meandering. It feels like taking a graduate-level class with a really eccentric professor. As a Russian lit major who focused on Dostoyevsky, I knew the stories and backstories, so I'm not sure how well it will be received by those without that specialized knowledge. For instance, one of the book's strengths, in my opinion, is Kristeva's examination of Dostoyevsky's polyphonic writing style and its connection to Orthodox Christianity. But will the average reader want to go down that path with her? I am not sure.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Kristeva's book is not for those who've only read a book or two by Dostoyevsky! It offers profound and philosophical insights into the work and life of Dostoyevsky through the critical lens of Kristeva's experience as a psychoanalyst, philosopher, and linguist. This means that the audience for this book is definitely scholarly and familiar with a wide berth of Dostoyevsky's works. If you're looking for a challenge, this is the book for you. :)