The perfect introduction to the many talents of this iconic Russian writer: six short stories ranging from satire to tragedy Dostevsky was a writer of unparalleld psychological intensity, capable of evoking startling absurdity and scorching social satire. In this collection of newly translated stories, scenes from the turbulent underbelly of St Petersburg are shot through with an acerbic, unforgiving humour, only to soften into moments of tragedy and unexpected tenderness. An arrogant nobleman disgraces himself, and betrays his ideals, at an aide's wedding. A struggling writer stumbles upon a cemetery where the dead talk to each other. A civil servant finds unexpected clarity from inside the belly of a crocodile. These stories, by turns both wickedly sharp and unexpectedly charming, illuminate Dostoevsky's dazzling versatility as a writer.