This epistolary novel, Dostoevsky's first published work of fiction, reveals glimpses of the brilliance that would reach its fullest expression in his more acclaimed later works. Makar Alexievitch Dievushkin, an impoverished middle-aged government clerk, devotes himself to the care of his ailing neighbor, young Barbara Alexievna Dobroselova. Their relationship develops primarily through correspondence by which each comes to know the personal history of the other. These letters become the vehicle for a passionately expressed but impractical love. Makar endures deprivations of every sort to provide little gifts and financial support to Barbara, who complains about his excessive generosity while welcoming the comforts. When Barbara consents to marry a wealthy suitor, Makar tries hopelessly in his final letter to dissuade her. Though Patrick Cullen and Julia Emlen often rely on melodramatics to convey the emotions of the characters, they nonetheless provide a satisfactory interpretation of a minor work from a master storyteller. Recommended for general and academic library collections. Philip Bader, Pasadena, CA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Excellent…Both readers express the hopeless love and rage that the two correspondents capture in their heartfelt letters.”

To you, an artist, the truth has been revealed and proclaimed; it has come to you as a gift. So cherish your gift, and remain faithful to it, and be a great writer.”

From the first pages of Poor People I understood that Dostoevsky wrote much better than I did and, as I continued...this impression grew.”

Patrick Cullen and Julia Emlen read the letters with deep emotion, exhibiting the love, frustration, and ultimate sorrow felt by the characters. Cullen’s portrayal of Dievushkin’s bouts of drunkenness, as well as his frantic efforts to save Dobroselova, are marvelous and intense.”

"An acute psychological portrait of a man driven to his limits." - Charlotte Hobson

Dostoevsky's first published fictional work is a series of letters between a poor clerk, Makar Alexievitch Dievushkin, and a young girl, Barbara Alexievna Dobroselova, the object of his desires who lives nearby. As their correspondence progresses, Dievushkin literally sells everything to help Dobroselova, but their epistles lead to sadness. Patrick Cullen and Julia Emlen read the letters with deep emotion, exhibiting the love, frustration, and ultimate sorrow felt by the characters. Cullen's portrayal of Dievushkin's bouts of drunkenness, as well as his frantic efforts to save Dobroselova, are marvelous and intense. Unfortunately, the narrators’ lack of Russian accents, and their consequent failure to provide the characters with a proper ethnicity, detracts from what would be considered masterful performances. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine