Firebrand: The Life Of Dostoevsky

Fydor Mijkailovich Dostoevsky was born in 1821, the son of a military doctor who was murdered by his serfs. Raised to wealth but psychologically scarred by the death of his father, Fydor turned radical. Arrested, he was first imprisoned then exiled to Siberia for 10 years.

These experiences, and especially his last-minute reprieve from execution, led him back to the church. But his radicalism remained, resulting in a tension that inspired some of the world's greatest novels, notably THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV and CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.

Troyat's biography proves that truth is stranger than fiction. Dostoevsky seems to have felt that if he didn't do it, it wasn't worth writing about. His life mirrored his novels and became the most powerful story of all.