Re: JDS The Poet
ZxPx@aol.com
Wed, 17 Feb 1999 17:43:37 -0500 (EST)
> Yes, but then again Dostoevsky raped a twelve year old girl and
boasted to
> all his friends about it. Which is why I could never quite bear to
embark
> on Dostoevsky.
>
> Camille
After hearing this I did quite a bit of research because I'm a big Dostoevsky
fan. Joseph Frank, who wrote a 4 volume biography of Dostoevsky never
mentioned Dostoevsky ever raping anyone. In fact, it would not be something
Dostoevsky would do, seeing as he was a Russian Orthodox Christian. I also
talked to a Dr. Deborah Martinsen from Columbia University who is an expert on
Dostoevsky. She said that she has not read anything substantial, proving that
he had done such a thing, however, it has been rumored. These rumors most
likely come from his numerous novels that involve the rape of a child, the
symbol of innocence. Many of the first critics of Dostoevsky thought anyone
who liked his work was involved with a demon's writing, whereas many of these
critics felt that Dostoevsky was writing these stories of rape from personal
experience.
That's just what I have learned from my reading and talking to experts. If
you have conflicting evidence, please let me know.
Zack