The Landlady - Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky

It was about time that I made progress with my list of Dostoyevsky's works. The list had only few novels left. Just one post-underground, which I will probably save for the last, and four pre-underground. I decided to take up 'The Landlady' next. With a seventeen hour flight coming up, the rather small novel found a very comfortable niche in my itinerary.

This was Dostoyevsky's third novel, after 'Poor Folks' and 'The Double'. Of the recurring themes that Dostoyevsky would use later in his writings, 'The Landlady' had glimpses of the "religious fool" and the delirious protagonist. Dostoyevsky has attempted to describe a complicated relation in this book. One that born of and ends in the fantastic. There is little that is rooted in realism, much that is obscure and in parts, it is downright difficult to follow. Of all the Dostoyevsky's I have read thus far, this is probably the least I appreciated. But it is possibly because I have read his later works. The contemporary audience to whom this novella was presented accused Dostoyevsky of plagiarism. But this book seems much in line with Dostoyevsky's later works. Not as polished and complete; perhaps missing a few chunks here and there; but it certainly has all the elements.

Vasily Ordynov, the protagonist, is an unemployed nobility who has dedicated his life to the obscurely described realm of science. He lives a solitary life and when his landlady moves out of Petersburg he is forced to look for new lodgings. While roams the outskirts of the city, he sees an old man and a young woman in a church. He is drawn to the woman and follows them to their quarters. The next day, he lands at their building and asks for lodgings. The woman accepts and then follows a series of delirious episodes where Ordynov lapses into sickness and is nursed by his landlady Katerina. They develop a relation and he tries to figure out her relation with the old man.

Yes, I continue to be awed by Dostoyevsky. And this has been a terrific journey thus far. Twelve down, four to go. I think I will pick up his unfinished work 'Netochka Nezvanova' next.