The Insulted and Humiliated

A novel set in St Petersburg and narrated by Ivan Petrovich, a struggling young writer. It follows several interlocking stories: a young woman who leaves her family for a reckless lover, a father bitterly estranged from her, and a poor orphaned girl in desperate circumstances, all under the influence of a cynical, powerful prince. Written soon after Dostoevsky's return from exile, it is a melodramatic but heartfelt tale about cruelty, compassion and the suffering of the vulnerable.