A profound exploration of innocence, morality, and the complexities of human nature, at the novel’s heart is Prince Lev Myshkin, a kind-hearted, deeply compassionate man whose purity and honesty set him apart in a world driven by ambition, greed, and deception. Returning to Russia after years of medical treatment in Switzerland, Myshkin enters the turbulent social circles of St. Petersburg, where his naïveté and unshakable goodness earn him both admiration and scorn.

Caught in a web of love, rivalry, and betrayal, Myshkin becomes entangled with the beautiful but tormented Nastasya Filippovna and the ambitious Aglaya Epanchin, both of whom are drawn to—and repelled by—his sincerity. As he struggles to navigate the treacherous currents of high society, Myshkin’s ideals clash with the brutal realities of human nature, leading to tragic consequences.

A masterful psychological novel, The Idiot examines the fate of a truly good person in a corrupt world.