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The Double (Dover Thrift)
 
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The Double (Dover Thrift) (Paperback)

by F.M. Dostoevsky (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
Price: £1.25 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Dover Publications Inc.; New edition edition (21 Jul 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0486295729
  • ISBN-13: 978-0486295725
  • Product Dimensions: 21 x 13.2 x 1.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 33,353 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description
The Double is a remarkable tale in the tradition of doppelganger literature. As Dostoevsky examines the neurosis and paranoia that cripple a seemingly ordinary man, he produces a thoroughly 'modern' nightmare, brilliantly foreshadowing the works of Kafka and Sartre. Mr Golyadkin is a rather middling man, a somewhat insignificant government official. Then one day he meets his 'double' - a man with the same name, face and background. Initially charmed by the co-incidence, Golyadkin soon notices a discernable cooling in the reaction of his friends and colleagues towards him, whilst his double seems to grow in popularity. Unable to escape the relentless presence of 'Golyadkin junior', suddenly even the most ordinary activities - going shopping, attending parties - take on a terrifying significance, and Golyadkin finds himself at the brink of breakdown. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Publisher
IN A NEW TRANSLATION BY RICHARD PEVEAR and LARISSA VOLOKHONSKY --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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The Double (Dover Thrift)
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but odd for Dostoevsky, 8 April 2006
By Depressaholic (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
Most of Dostoevsky's famous works were written after his spell in prison and mock execution had profoundly affected his world view. 'The Double' was written before all this, and is consequently very different from the other books of his I have read. It is the story of Golyadkin, a socially inept clerk who is encouraged by his physician to socialise more. No sooner has he received this advice than another Golyadkin appears on the scene, physically indistinguishable from the first, but much more confident. This second Golyadkin frustrates the ambitions of the first in love, at work and in society, precipitating a shocking end.
Although many of Dostoevsky's trade-marks are in evidence here, such as the feverish ant-hero and the criticism of Russian society, the hallucinatory style is unusual for him. Impossible events are described very matter-of-factly and the supernatural premise to the whole book is accepted by all the characters, giving the story a surreal feel. It is also comic in places, more obviously so than his later books (though I think that Dostoevsky is often more tongue-in-cheek than he is given credit for). 'The Double' could easily read as a horror story (albeit a largely psychological one). The whole thing reminded me of Gogol's short story 'The Nose', as much as anything. All this meant that it was very unlike anything else of his that I have read. It was still very good, but a bit strange for Dostoevsky. Definitely worth a read, but not one to judge the rest of his stuff by.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Choose the best translation, 2 Jun 2008
By Jonathan Birch (Manchester) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
The Double is a Kafkaesque novel, 70 years before Kafka. A dark, gripping psychological thriller, it tells the story of Goliadkin, whose life unravels when an identical-looking man starts to impersonate him. Short, surreal, economically written, mean-spirited and carrying a strong anti-establishment vibe, this is a far cry from the novels of Dostoevsky's golden period 20 years later. Despite this, it's surprising how much of the familiar Dostoevsky style is there in embryonic form: a grimy everyday setting; frantic, turbulent dialogue; high-strung characters; attention to psychological detail; a mischievous narrator; and a good helping of black humour. Though The Double is not clearly the work of the same author who (after a spell in Siberia) would go on to write a series of masterpieces, the clues are there.

As with all Dostoevsky's work, getting a good translation will transform your experience of the novel. I strongly recommend the brand new Pevear/Volokhonsky translation, contained in a single volume with The Gambler. By preserving the idiosyncracies of the author in fresh, modern English, these acclaimed translators make Russian literature as brilliant and rich as it should be.
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