Best dostoevsky books to start with

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) was a Russian writer whose works greatly influenced literature and existentialism. Along with fellow 19th-century Russian author Leo Tolstoy (see our reading list of Tolstoy’s best books here), Dostoevsky is one of the most prominent literary figures in history, celebrated for his profound exploration of human psychology, morality, and the human condition.

Dostoevsky stands at the intersection of literature and philosophy, wrestling with classic existential themes like suffering, guilt, freedom, responsibility, the existence of God, and the struggle for meaning.

(To learn more about how such themes feature in existential philosophy generally, check out our short introduction to existentialism, as well as our reading list of existentialism’s best books).

A genius observer of the human psyche, Dostoevsky’s characters are never merely ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but category-defying, flawed, contradictory — in other wor