# The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky

8 Hacker News commenters recommended The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky and 3 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Praised for its rich take on Christian philosophy and Prince Myshkin, and for being easy to finish once started. Common caveat: a hard, slow slog for many readers.

## Why people recommend it

- Easy to finish, engaging read (2 comments): "they read like my own thoughts from the very start and I never had any trouble finishing" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48670484)) "finally I devoured The Idiot" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48668245))

## What people warn about

- Hard, slow slog to get through (3 comments): "I had so much trouble getting through it, and while I had the impression that the writing was brilliant, I wasn't educated or mature enough at that point to appreciate it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48670198)) "it was pure torture getting through The Idiot" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48676920)) "a death march for a term paper" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48668129))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/crime-and-punishment.md): 39 recommend
- [The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/brothers-karamazov.md): 28 recommend
- [Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace](https://hackerapproved.com/p/infinite-jest.md): 26 recommend
- [The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://hackerapproved.com/p/great-gatsby.md): 24 recommend
- [Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand](https://hackerapproved.com/p/atlas-shrugged.md): 23 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553210394?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780553210392) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky", https://hackerapproved.com/p/idiot/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).