The Dream of a Ridiculous Man

De: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Constance Garnett - translator

Narrado por: Rob Goll

"The consciousness of life is higher than life, the knowledge of the laws of happiness is higher than happiness—that is what one must contend against."

The narrator walks the streets of St. Petersburg at night, contemplating how ridiculous his life is. His conviction that 'nothing in the world matters' had led him months before to purchase a gun with the intent of committing suicide. Catching sight of a lone star in the gloomy sky, he firmly resolves that this will be the night he does it. However, a chance encounter with a distressed little girl in the street derails his drastic plans.

'The Dream of a Ridiculous Man' is a short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) originally published in his own monthly journal, 'A Writer's Diary,' in 1877. Written late in the author's career, the short story touches upon many of the themes and concerns of his major novels. This audiobook version uses the translation from the Russian by Constance Garnett (1861-1946)

Public Domain (P)2024 Rob Goll

Forget Nostradamus! Dodo say it ALL

Fyodor predicted the post modern condition of worshipping absurdity, & its savage consequences a century before Conspiracy Theatrics took over public discourse. I can’t imagine what he would have made of near universal misery provided by social media platforms like Facebook. I’m certain that he would have encountered it as a ridiculous dream made manifest.