&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LI&&RThe House of the Dead and Poor Folk&&L/I&&R, by &&LB&&RFyodor Dostoevsky&&L/B&&R, is part of the &&LI&&R&&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R &&L/I&&Rseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R: &&LDIV&&R New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics &&L/I&&Rpulls together a constellation of influences-biographical, historical, and literary-to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&R &&L/P&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&RArrested in 1849 for belonging to a secret group of radical utopians, &&LB&&RFyodor Dostoevsky&&L/B&&R was sentenced to four years in a Siberian labor camp-a terrible mental, spiritual, and physical ordeal that inspired him to write the novel &&LI&&RThe House of the Dead&&L/I&&R.&&LBR&&R&&LBR&&RTold from the point of view of a fictitious narrator-a convict serving a ten-year sentence for murdering his wife-&&LI&&RThe House of the Dead&&L/I&&R describes in vivid detail the horrors that Dostoevsky himself witnessed while in prison: the brutality of guards who relish cruelty for its own sake; the evil of criminals who enjoy murdering children; and the existence of decent souls amid filth and degradation. More than just a work of documentary realism, &&LI&&RThe House of the Dead&&L/I&&R also describes the spiritual death and gradual resurrection from despair experienced by the novel's central character-a reawakening that culminates in his final reconciliation with himself and humanity.&&LBR&&R&&LBR&&RAlso included in this volume is Dostoevsky's first published work, &&LI&&RPoor Folk&&L/I&&R, a novel written in the form of letters that brought Dostoevsky immediate critical and public recognition.&&LBR&&R&&L/P&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&R&&LSTRONG&&RJoseph Frank&&L/B&&R&&L/B&&R is Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature at Princeton University and Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature and Slavic Languages and Literature at Stanford University. He is the author of an acclaimed five-volume study of Dostoevsky's life and work.&&L/P&&R&&L/DIV&&R