Uncle's Dream

This collection is a Soviet-era (1956) publication of 3 Dostoevsky novelettes in English translation. As with most Soviet translations, this one has some minor idiom issues and awkwardness. That may not be so important as the three stories are rather awkward to begin with: Uncle's Dream (1859), Most Unfortunate (1862) and The Gambler (1867).
"Uncle's Dream" is an overly complicated story of the machinations of various matrons and others around a doddering old man, who happens to be very, very rich. There is conniving, trickery, lost honor, sacrifice and hysterics. You get glimpses of character types and situations that will reach a climax in his later novels, but here it's still in the laboratory.
"Most Unfortunate" (sometimes show more translated as 'A Nasty Story') could best be described as a humorous anecdote turned into a tormenting nightmare. The boss happens upon the wedding of a subordinate and thinking he would honor him by joining the festivities causes agony to all involved--not excluding himself.
"The Gambler" is the best known of the three novelas as it involves one of Dostoevsky's most known vices. Like all Dostoevsky's work, the reader will either hate it or rave over it. Not yet at the level of his masterworks, it shows his ability to delve into the frenetic world of obsession. show less

نسبت به بقیه کارهای داستایوسکی به نظرم فرق داشت. بیشتر از این که حس فضای تیره و تار، با آمیزه روانشناسی که تو بقیه کارهاش معمولا دیده مي شن، ملموس باشه، حس کمدی داشت. ماریا الکساندرونا مادری منفعت طلب و نسبتا سلطه جو که از هیچ کاری دریغ نمی کنه تا دخترش زینا به زندگی و آینده ای مطمئن دست پیدا کنه. در این بین امیری ثروتمند و بسیار مسن وارد داستان می شه که گزینه مناسبی برای ازدواج زینا از نظر مادرش محسوب می شه. طنز show more سیاه به کار گرفته شده، سطحی بودن و تفکر نه چندان پخته افراد حاضر رو به خوبی نشون می داد. پرداختن به تصنعی بودن احساسات، رفتارها و حتی چهره های شخصیت ها داستان رو جالب تر می کرد.

در رابطه با کتاب صوتی، صداگذاری رضا عمرانی بسیار عالی بود.

"- خوب بله، بله خوب. ما خیلی با هم دوست بودیم. همیشه هم دماغشو تو توتون می کرد. خیلی مضحک بود.
- بتهوون؟!
- خوب بله، بتهوون... شایدم بتهوون نبود و یه مرد آلمانی دیگه ای بود. آخه می دونید اونجا آلمانی زیاده" show less

An ambitious mother seeks to marry off her proud daughter to the senile but rich Prince K (who everyone expects to die within a few years). The problem is that the prince is rather absent-minded. He even forgets that he is tricked into a marriage proposal. Believing it to be a dream, he ignores the young lady and a scandal is on the way.

Who would have thought that Dostoevsky would write such a witty story? One humorous scene follows the other as this frail old man prone to forgetfulness frustrates the plans of his relatives.

This was a great novel by Dostoevsky. The set-up is key, as a prince is going to be lured into marrying a woman who is looking to make off with his money (and estate) while keeping her lover amidst her. However, complications arise and a fitting conclusion follows. I will not spoil the plot, as the book is quite worth reading, but this was one of the better Dostoevsky works that I have read. I was very surprised and enthusiastic the whole way through. This one is a page turner. The characters were deep and realistic in their psychological makeup and the plot was nuanced enough to follow but not lose track of. Dostoevsky and Russian literature enthusiasts, as well as those interested in classics, should pick up this one.

4.25 stars- well show more worth it! show less

I actually read this in Constance Garnett's translation. It describes the farce-like proceedings in a small Russian provincial town when an unscrupulous woman tries to trick a senile millionaire into marrying her daughter. Dostoyevsky is not well known for his comic writing and if you are looking for laugh out loud funny this is not for you. Nevertheless, it is worth persevering with for its strong dramatic scenes, its sense of a decadent society, but above all for the characterization. All his characters seem to be larger than life.

A somewhat entertaining short story about a manipulative mother's attempts to arrange a marriage between her beautiful daughter and a wealthy elderly prince on the verge of senility. Myriad characters attempt, for their own reasons, to disrupt mother's plans.

A good, but hardly great, read.

Como pasa con los mejores vinos, con el tiempo, este escritor maduró y creó obras de gran talla literaria. Muchos de los temas que se tratan en esta novela se verian, también, en otras suyas como "Crimen y castigo". En ésta, particularmente, crea un ambiente entre Shakespeare y Calderón de la Barca, si bien llega a ser difícil de leer y, para mi gusto, increíblemente aburrida e insulsa.