This volume contains Fyodor Dostoyevsky's 1877 short story "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man". It begins with a man walking St. Petersburg's streets while musing upon how ridiculous his life is, as well as its distinct lack of meaning or purpose. This train of thought leads him to the idea of suicide, which he resolves to commit using a previously-acquired gun. However, a chance encounter with a distressed little girl in the street derails his drastic plans. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (1821 1881) was a Russian novelist, essayist, short story writer, journalist, and philosopher. His literature examines human psychology during the turbulent social, spiritual and political atmosphere of 19th-century Russia, and he is considered one of the greatest psychologists in world literature. A prolific writer, Dostoevsky produced 11 novels, three novellas, 17 short stories and numerous other works. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. Other notable works by this author include: Crime and Punishment (1866), Notes from the Underground (1864), and The Idiot (1869). We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.