Poor Folk
Poor Folk, published in 1846, was Dostoevsky's first novel, the book that made the critic Belinsky hail a new Gogol. It is told entirely in letters exchanged between April and September by Makar Devushkin, a middle-aged copying clerk living in a corner of a St. Petersburg kitchen, and Varvara Dobroselova, a young seamstress who lives across the courtyard and whom he half adopts and half adores. Makar spends what he does not have on gifts for her, is humiliated at the office and in his lodging house, and reads Gogol's The Overcoat with outrage; Varvara's memoir of her childhood and of the student Pokrovsky forms a story within the story. C. J. Hogarth is the translator. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first chapter is free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about Poor Folk
Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoyevsky can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read Poor Folk online?
Yes. Poor Folk opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is Poor Folk free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of Poor Folk is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is Poor Folk in the public domain?
Yes. Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a public-domain work, here in the translation by C. J. Hogarth. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read Poor Folk?
About 3 h 37 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is Poor Folk?
Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is filed under "Fiction" in the Vinteuil library.
