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Dostoevsky - The Idiot
By vrtualme | June 3, 2008
It’s been a long while sense I read the book. But the more I think about it, the more convinced I become that Dostoevsky’s ‘the idiot’ had asperger’s syndrome. The man was not unintelligent; he was considered an idiot because he lacked basic social skills. The devil be damned, he always spoke the truth and anticipated the same in others. And never understood why a certain behavior was expected of him.
To argue the case further would involve me rereading what was one of the most difficult books I’ve ever endured (and yet adored). And though I’ve said many times that I believe Dostoevsky was absolutely brilliant; eighteenth century Russian just doesn’t translate well to English. I recommend the book, but only if you enjoy a good challenge. If you make it through that you might also try ‘crime and punishment’.
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