作者簡介
杜斯妥也夫斯基(F. Dostoyevsky, 1821-1881)
俄國小說家,探索人類靈魂奧祕的作家。著作影響世界文壇,並啟發尼采、愛因斯坦,以及二十世紀存在主義哲學思潮、龐克搖滾樂等多方領域。
出生於莫斯科,家中排行老二,父親為軍醫。十六歲時,母親因肺結核過世,與長兄被父親安排到彼得堡念寄宿學校,後來考進軍事工程學校,就學五年期間被他在作品中稱為「該死的這些苦役般的時光」。十八歲時,父親過世,傳說是因為對自己的農奴太過嚴苛而被殺害,這件事影響到了未來作家的心理發展。
一八四六年發表處女作《窮人》博得好評,在文壇展露鋒芒,被譽為「新的果戈里出現了」,從此展開他創作生涯的第一階段。隔年起,積極參與彼得拉舍夫斯基的社團,著迷於烏托邦社會主義思想。一八四九年因彼得拉舍夫斯基事件被捕,判死刑槍決,主要罪名是公開宣讀禁書──別林斯基的《致果戈里的信》,臨刑前被沙皇赦免死罪,改判苦役流放西伯利亞。一八五九年,服完四年的苦役與五年多的兵役(這期間結了第一次婚),年底獲得重返首都彼得堡的權利,準備從文壇再起。從一八六○年起,開始了創作生涯的第二階段,與長兄合辦了兩本文學雜誌,出版《死屋手記》、《被侮辱者與被凌辱者》,以及創作風格轉捩點的《地下室手記》,為此後的重要長篇小說從《罪與罰》到《卡拉馬助夫兄弟》,鋪出一條充滿各式各樣的信仰懷疑的大熔爐之路,而同時他也透過這條創作之路,試圖在其中求得能夠拯救世界的「美」。
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.