Olga's Reviews > The Dream of a Ridiculous Man

'The Dream of a Ridiculous Man' seems to be a much more optimistic statement comparing to other Dostoevsky's works I have read. Dostoevsky knows everything about injustice, suffering, pain, corruption and decline. His texts make me depressed - that's why I often postpone reading them.

It takes a genius to speak about the most important aspects of the human existence - faith, happiness, morality, corruption, death, suffering, etc. - in the most powerful way using such simple language.

'And a strange thing happened : while they ceased completely to believe in their lost bliss, dismissing it as a fairy tale, they longed so much to become happy and innocent once more that they capitulated to their own wishes and, like small children, proceeded to worship their longings. They built countless temples, deified their own wishful thought, and prayed to it. And although they were certain their wishes could never come true, they worshiped them with tears in their eyes.'
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'Finally these people grew tired in their senseless efforts, and suffering appeared on their faces. Then they proclaimed that suffering is beautiful because suffering alone contains thought.'
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'Awareness of life is of a higher order than knowledge of the laws of happiness'