White Nights and Other Stories

‘My God, a whole moment of happiness! Is that too little for the whole of a man's life?’

Set against the dreamlike backdrop of 19th-century St. Petersburg, White Nights is a poignant exploration of love, loneliness, and fleeting connections—a timeless novella that captures the heart of Dostoevsky’s deeply human storytelling. The narrative unfolds over four magical nights as an unnamed solitary dreamer meets Nastenka, a young woman trapped by her circumstances, and how, drawn by their shared isolation, they form an unexpected bond.

This early masterpiece is followed by A Faint Heart, a story of a tragic love triangle involving a sensitive young man, his best friend, and the woman they both love and their devastating emotional fragility. Mr Prokharchin focuses on a miserly man living in dire conditions despite having money, bringing alive the human psyche’s complexity.

The final story, Polzunkov, is a humorous yet poignant short story about a clerk's life, dreams, and disappointments, highlighting Dostoevsky's early exploration of the human condition and social inequities.