Turgenev says that he confessed to him about raping a little girl. Turgenev was a socialist, and Dostoevsky was a conservative Slavophile, so it's possible he was trying to slander him for political purposes. But at the same time, child molestation is a reoccurring subject in Dostoevsky's work, and we're all probably familiar with the infamous chapter in "Demons".
One account of this is mentioned in one of Dostoevsky's biographies. If I recall correctly, so the story goes, there was a poor young girl (I believe younger than 12 or somewhere in that age range) who was being severely abused by her mother or guardian, and he wrote an article on her behalf that led to the girl being taken away from her. Some time afterward, he saw her in the street and picked up her, and well, you can guess the rest. Later, he calls on Turgenev, who I believe was a bitter enemy of his at the time, to come to his house and he confesses all this to him. Turgenev was disgusted, and when Dostoevsky saw the look on his face, he said something like "you cannot possibly despise me as much as I despise you!" From what I remember, the biographer seemed to believe this confession took place but thought Dostoevsky was lying about it because of some weird guilt complex he has, which seems like a stretch to me. I don't know whether or not he actually confessed this to Turgenev, but if he did, I'm inclined to believe he was telling the truth. I mean, who the fuck lies about raping a kid?
Another thing... I recognize this has a lot less credibility, but probably like 6 or 7 years ago, I read a post on reddit from some guy claiming to be in contact with people from Tolstoy's estate and supposedly they had letters or diaries backing up the claim that he had molested children. According to him, Dostoevsky had some weird belief that having sex with children "cleansed" him in some way. I assumed this guy was lying, but the only reason I didn't totally write him off is because when I messaged him for more info, he sent me a link to a translated version of some Russian website where Sofia Kovalevskaya (1st ever female Russian mathematician, who supposedly rejected a marriage proposal by Dostoevsky) claims he talked about doing this at a party. This sounds like a very strange thing to do, but at the time, rape wasn't viewed the same as it is today, and in particular, the rape of someone from a lower social class wouldn't have been viewed as harshly (see the depiction of the rape of the protagonist's mother, a house serf, in "The Adolescent"), so a bunch of aristocrats/bourgeoisie talking about this at a dinner party wouldn't have been that unusual given their value system.
What do you guys think? Have you heard anything about this?
>>7416381
I don't come to /lit/ to get an erection
I can see why Turgenev called him the "Russian De Sade"
I've heard about the Turgenev claim before, though I always assumed it was slander, but does anyone know about the Tolstoy thing?
>According to him, Dostoevsky had some weird belief that having sex with children "cleansed" him in some way.
Jesus Christ, Dostoevsky was a creepy fuck.
Great artists are often shitty people.
dostoyesky, as a person, was pretty fucking horrendous. so was tolstoy. turgenev seemed to be the most decent out of the big three.
It doesn't show in his writings at all desu
>>7416604
>so was tolstoy.
Why was Tolstoy shitty?
I don't know much about his personal life.
No. If he were, he would have confessed it publicly, at least if his work is any indication of his sentiments regarding what is required for redemption...he seemed to think any sin was redeemable (I mean, that guy who knew Zosima stabbed a woman to death for jilting him, but he is redeemed through confessing his crimes and willing to accept the consequences).
Murder is also a reoccurring subject in Dostoevsky's work, does that mean he's a murderer? No.
> I read a post on reddit
Just stop.
>Dostoevsky had some weird belief that having sex with children "cleansed" him in some way.
This is complete slander. Dostoevsky didn't think anything cleansed you but Christ and confession.
>>7416522
>Jesus Christ, Dostoevsky was a creepy fuck.
Do you really believe for an instant Dostoevsky thought that? It certainly doesn't look like a cleansing experience in Demons.
>>7416381
>I don't know whether or not he actually confessed this to Turgenev
He didn't. This is literally ripped from The Brothers Karamazov, except the guy is confessing to Zosima (before he became a monk) about killing former lover out of jealousy. The guy eventually cleanses himself by making a public confession, with Zosima's support, knowing he cannot be redeemed until he does.
Turgenev never, ever made this claim. The idea that he did originates entirely with the fictionalized biography
>in 1888 Ivan Iasinskii published the story "Confession" (Ispoved1), which offered a fictional account of Dostoevsky confessing before Ivan Turgenev to the rape of a young girl.
>>7416381
Nabokov did say the best prose can be expected from a paedophiliac murderer.
>>7416673
Nabokov was literally sonic the edgehog with good prose.
So? I hope it's true, but isn't provable.
>>7416696
It's literally completely fabricated, Turgenev never said that, there are not diaries or letters saying that by Dostoevsky (why would they be at Tolstoy's estate? Tolstoy was excommunicated by the Orthodox Church because of how much invective he poured on it, whereas Dostoevsky is pretty much the poster child for the Orthodox Church when it comes to writers). Sofa Kovalevskaya never said this either.
> Later, he calls on Turgenev, who I believe was a bitter enemy of his at the time, to come to his house and he confesses all this to him.
Why though? Was that an actual practice back then, to call your rival and confess damning evidence to him?
>>7416522
>believing anything on /lit/
>>7416381
Turgenev really did despise Dostoyevsky. Tolstoy supporters approach that same negative view since Dostoyevsky is the main competitor for Great Russian Novelist.
Also,
>child molestation is a reoccurring subject in Dostoevsky's work
I've read every word of his, and I don't see this.
Book burning on Western campuses when?
>>7416612
shitty only compared to the lofty pure and true image people have of him
>>7416612
First thing he does after marrying his wife: he shows her his diaries detailing all the women (most of them his serfs) he's fugged, and impregnated in a few cases.
>>7417235
Well, the description of Sonya from C&P sounded a bit pedo-ish. She looked like a child, iirc.
>>7416381
Anecdotes and hearsay. It's convenient you can't seem to remember any of the actual sources to check?
>>7417336
Get a load of this guy
>>7416381
My thread watcher keeps asking the question 'Was Dostoevsky a child mole?'
I think this is a fr more fruitful line of questioning, treating his youthful revolutionary streak and eventual transformation (whether that be due to maturation or indoctrination).
How do you pronounce "Dostoyevsky" and
"Fyodor"
>>7416381
Turgenev seemed incredibly chill compared to Dosto and TolstoyHe's also the better writer of the three
>>7417679
As Nabokov said, "he is not a great writer, but a pleasant one."
>>7417675
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpw_GskW4r4
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dostoevsky
>>7417675
In Russian it's Fёдop Дocтoeвcкий.
The ё in the first name gets the primary stress and is pronounced 'yo.'
The e in the last name is where the emphasis is, and has a 'yeh' sound. (This is why the Russian word for 'no' is pronounced 'nyet,' for example.) The o's in the first two syllables are unstressed and basically get a schwa pronunciation.
FYOH-durr dust-uh-YEFF-skee [or duh-stuh-...].
>>7417679
Turgenev had no chill when it came to his so-called nihilism (and his antipathy toward Dostoyevsky re the same).
The real chill Russian was Chekhov it seems to me.
Bumping for interest
