'White Nights' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a short story that follows a lonely dreamer who falls in love with a young woman in St. Petersburg. Despite her engagement to another man, the two characters share their deepest emotions over the course of a few nights, leading to a life-changing encounter. The writing style is described as deeply romantic, compelling, and melancholic, with beautiful prose capturing the emotions of the characters.
The plot of 'White Nights' revolves around themes of unrequited love, loneliness, and the longing for connection. The main character's introspective narration and the poignant dialogues with the young woman create a sense of emotional depth and vulnerability. Despite the bittersweet tone of the story, readers find the book to be a heart-touching and relatable exploration of human emotions.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of unrequited love, existential angst, and heavy emotional struggles.
Has Romance?
The story has a high presence of romance, focusing on the deep emotions and connections between the characters.
From The Publisher:
A young, lonely man strolls the streets of St. Petersburg contemplating his solitude when he happens upon a young woman in tears. While escorting her home, the two strike up a conversation and soon become friends, meeting up at night to share their stories. When the young woman, Nastenka, explains that she was crying because she had been waiting for her fiancé who promised he would be back to marry her, the young man, despite his growing feelings toward her, promises to help her locate her beloved.
"White Nights" is considered to be one of Fyodor Dostoevsky's best short stories and has been adapted numerous times for film in various languages.
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Ratings (29)
Incredible (5) | |
Loved It (10) | |
Liked It (10) | |
It Was OK (4) |
Reader Stats (62):
Read It (30) | |
Want To Read (26) | |
Not Interested (6) |
2 comment(s)
I am a dreamer; I have so little real life that I regard such moments as this one, now, to be so rare that I can’t help repeating these moments in my dreams. I will dream of you all night, for an entire week, all year long.
But how have you lived if there’s no story?
And now I know more than ever that I’ve wasted all my best years for nothing!
It will be sad, you know, to be left alone, quite alone, and not even have something to regret- nothing, absolutely nothing… because all that I have lost, all this, it was all nothing, a stupid, round zero- it was nearly a dream!
You know, we thank some people for merely living at the same time as we do. I thank you for the fact that I met you, that I will remember you for all my life!
Why is it that the very best person is always hiding something from other people and is quiet about it? Why not say frankly and immediately what’s in your heart, if you know that you’re not speaking idly. As it is, everyone looks more severe than they actually are, as though they’re all afraid their feelings will be hurt if they reveal them too soon…
This is about the power of and desperation for human connection- About a momentary refuge in another’s company that cannot last. It’s about loneliness, unrequited love, yearning, solitude, and dreaming all told through fantastical and whimsical prose.
This asks the question: what is your quality of life if you’ve lived it entirely in your head. Even though it maybe be more pleasant in the short term, it removes the full spectrum of human emotions and thus what it means to be human. If you allow yourself to feel the full range, maybe you’ll find something better than the dreams and delusions, however fleeting or bittersweet it may be.
When I revisited the story for the second time, I connected with the story much better than first time. I can connect with the dreamer who is lost to the real world and also can appreciate the monologue style of story telling. The plot is little cliche now, but it's still captures the fear of every lonely person out there.
Review of First Read - 2 Star
Too much word play. Very little actual story.
What can you read after
White Nights?
About the Author:
Fyodor Dostoevsky was born in Moscow on 11th November 1821. He had six siblings and his mother died in 1837 and his father in 1839. He graduated from the St Petersburg Academy of Military Engineering in 1846 but decided to change careers and become a writer. His first book, Poor Folk, did very well but on 23rd April 1849 he was arrested for subversion and sentenced to death. After a mock-execution his sentence was commuted to hard labour in Siberia where he developed epilepsy.He was released in 1854. His 1860 book, The House of the Dead was based on these experiences. In 1857 he married Maria Dmitrievna Isaeva. After his release he adopted more conservative and traditional values and rejected his previous socialist position. In the following years he spent a lot of time abroad, struggled with an addiction to gambling and fell deeply in debt. His wife died in 1864 and he married Anna Grigoryeva Snitkina. In the following years he published his most enduring and successful books, including Crime and Punishment (1865). He died on 9th February 1881
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