Fyodor Dostoevsky’s thought-provoking story of a man who thinks he and his life are so ridiculous as to not be worth living packs a powerful message. Having decided to commit suicide, his life is turned around by a chance encounter with a young girl asking for help on the street, and a dreamed journey to a utopian world. He learns that meaning and happiness come through suffering and love (kindness), and that indifference (lack of concern for others) can destroy them. Themes: nihilism, despair, suffering, compassion, meaning in life.
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