Poor People: New Translation (Alma Classics): Annotated Edition

A deeply empathetic look at the crushing lives of the downtrodden in St. Petersburg through intimate letters.

Fyodor Dostoevsky’s debut novel is told through an epistolary exchange of letters between Makar Devushkin, a poor, elderly clerk, and Varvara Dobroselova, a young seamstress living in harrowing poverty in adjacent run-down tenements. They share their daily struggles, meager meals, and heartbreak, finding emotional solace only in each other's words. When an affluent suitor steps in, the harsh realities of class and survival threaten to tear their fragile bond apart. This early masterpiece of psychological realism reflects the themes adapted in various cinematic and theatrical adaptations of Dostoevsky's works.

➤ Highlights

• Epistolary Format: The story unfolds entirely through intimate, heartfelt letters between two outcasts.
• St. Petersburg Slums: A vivid portrayal of extreme poverty and urban suffering.
• Fragile Romance: A tender, heartbreaking bond between a lonely clerk and a young seamstress.
• Social Inequality: The crushing weight of class divides restricts every choice they make.
• Cinematic Roots: Dostoevsky's profound human studies frequently inspire deep dramatic cinema.