Poor Folk
'Poor Folk' Summary
Varvara Dobroselova and Makar Devushkin are second cousins twice-removed and live across from each other on the same street in terrible apartments. Devushkin's, for example, is merely a portioned-off section of the kitchen, and he lives with several other tenants, such as the Gorshkovs, whose son groans in agonizing hunger almost the entire story. Devushkin and Dobroselova exchange letters attesting to their terrible living conditions and the former frequently squanders his money on gifts for her.
The reader progressively learns their history. Dobroselova originally lived in the country, but moved to St. Petersburg (which she hates) when her father lost his job. Her father becomes very violent and her mother severely depressed. Her father dies and they move in with Anna Fyodorovna, a landlady who was previously cruel to them but at least pretends to feel sympathy for their situation. Dobroselova is tutored by a poor student named Pokrovsky, whose drunken father occasionally visits. She eventually falls in love with Pokrovsky. She struggles to save a measly amount of money to purchase the complete works of Pushkin at the market for his birthday present, then allows his father to give the books to him instead, claiming that just knowing he received the books will be enough for her happiness. Pokrovsky falls ill soon after, and his dying wish is to see the sun and the world outside. Dobroselova obliges by opening the blinds to reveal grey clouds and dirty rain. In response Pokrovsky only shakes his head and then passes away. Dobroselova's mother dies shortly afterwards, and Dobroselova is left in the care of Anna for a time, but the abuse becomes too much and she goes to live with Fedora across the street.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
RussianPublished In
1844Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Author
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Russia
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, sometimes transliterated as Dostoyevsky, was a Russian novelist, philosopher, short story writer, essayist, and journalist. Dostoevsky's literary works explore human ps...
More on Fyodor DostoyevskyDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
Abe and Mawruss: Being Further Adventures of Potash and Perlmutter by Montague Glass
Abe Potash and Mawruss Perlmutter, the world-famous cloak-and-suit manufacturers, are back in business! And this time, they're up to their old tricks,...
The Wind by Dorothy Scarborough
The Wind a supernatural novel by Dorothy Scarborough, depicts the loneliness of life in a small Texas town during the 1880s. She originally published...
The Captives by Hugh Walpole
It explores the complexities of human relationships, power, and morality. First published in 1920, the book remains a classic work of English literatu...
Rough and Ready OR Life Among the New York Newsboys by Horatio Alger
In the gritty streets of 19th-century New York, where survival hinges on street smarts and grit, young Johnny Walker finds himself thrust into a world...
The Woman of the Wood by Abraham Merritt
The story follows a group of adventurers who set out to find a mysterious woman who is said to live in the heart of a dark and dangerous forest. Set...
Sweethearts by W. S. Gilbert
Sweethearts is a comic play billed as a "dramatic contrast" in two acts by W. S. Gilbert. The play tells a sentimental and ironic story of the differi...
The Sentimentalists by Murray Leinster
This book transports readers to a future where the galaxy stands on the brink of unprecedented change. Dr. Evelyn Harper, a brilliant and enigmatic ps...
A Change of Air by Katharine Fullerton Gerould
Anyone can make a will by which his possessions are divided after his death but Cordelia Wheaton was ahead of the game for she willed away her fortune...
The Tragic Bride by Francis Brett Young
The story centers on Gabrielle Hewish, only and lonely child of Sir Jocelyn Hewish, a loveable lush and owner of the peaceful Roscarna estate nestled...
Charles Rex by Ethel M. Dell
On his last night in Valrosa, Saltash (Charles Rex) returns to his luxurious yacht to find a stowaway, a young woman disguised as a boy. She pleads to...
Reviews for Poor Folk
No reviews posted or approved, yet...