The Idiot
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevskyby Fyodor Dostoevsky
Shares rank 23 of 122 novels by recommenders
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.
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.
11 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 3
- approval share
- 73%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 2.7 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Easy to finish, engaging read
“they read like my own thoughts from the very start and I never had any trouble finishing”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” “finally I devoured The Idiot”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Hard, slow slog to get through
“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”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” “it was pure torture getting through The Idiot”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” “a death march for a term paper”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Idiotby Fyodor DostoevskyThis page | 8 | 3 | 73% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
9 of the 11 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“it gives greater texture to Christian philosophy and the image of Christ than any other analysis I have ever read”
“Prince Myshkin in 'The Idiot' is a fine portrayal of this archetype”
“it was pure torture getting through The Idiot”
“they read like my own thoughts from the very start and I never had any trouble finishing”
“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”
“wonderfully bizzare adaptation”
“finally I devoured The Idiot”
“a death march for a term paper”
“I thoroughly enjoyed Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and White Nights”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.