Every time I read Dostoevsky it feels as though I have lived a life inside of a book. This book is in a rare category for me that is unsurprisingly occupied heavily by one of my favorite authors.

Myshkin is perhaps the most endearing character I have read in Dostoevsky (although I have a large soft spot for Alexei Fyodorovich Karamazov). Still there where times that I, like many characters in the novel, wanted to shake him by the shoulders and tell him to smarten up. For me, however, it was Nastasya Filippovna that had the most lasting impression. She is one of the most dynamic characters that I can remember and the scene with the money and the fire is one of my favorites I have ever read in any work of fiction.

The Idiot has this strange sense of optimism, pessimism, and something in between that was very unique to me. I was surprised how much of the discourse on politics and society is still relevant today in a time and land far from its origin. I would give this infinite stars if possible.