小说描写19世纪60年代出身贵族的绝色女子娜斯塔霞常年受地主托茨基蹂躏，后托茨基愿出一大笔钱要把她嫁给卑鄙无耻的加尼亚。就在女主人公的生日晚会上，被人们视为白痴的年轻公爵梅诗金突然出现，愿无条件娶娜斯塔霞为妻，这使她深受感动。在与公爵即将举行婚礼的那天，娜斯塔霞尽管深爱着公爵，但还是跟花花公子罗果仁跑了，最后遭罗果仁杀害。(The novel describes that the exceedingly beautiful girl Nastark born of nobility in 1860s is ravaged by the landlord Totsky throughout the year, then Totsky is willing to pay a pretty penny to marry her to the shameless Ganea. At the birthday party of the heroine, the young duke Myshkin who is thought idiotic by people appears suddenly and wants to marry Nastark without condition, and it lets her be moved deeply. On the day that Nastark is about to hold a wedding ceremony with the duke, though Nastark has an affection for the duke, she runs away with the playboy Luonuts, and finally is murdered by Luonuts.)