A Raw Youth

"I have a secret power... my idea is to become a Rothschild."



Twenty-year-old Arkady Dolgoruky is the "raw youth"—an illegitimate son caught between two worlds. Armed with a secret "idea" to achieve absolute independence through wealth, he travels to St. Petersburg to confront his biological father, the charismatic yet destructive aristocrat Versilov. What follows is a whirlwind of blackmail, underground gambling dens, and ideological warfare. Arkady must navigate a society where old traditions are crumbling and new, dangerous "ideas" are taking root, all while trying to uncover the truth about the man who gave him life but denied him a name.



The Psychology of the Underground: In Arkady, Dostoevsky creates one of his most complex protagonists—a young man who is simultaneously arrogant, naive, deeply hurt, and fiercely intelligent. The novel captures the "formlessness" of youth and the desperate desire to find a "Great Idea" to live by. It is a precursor to the modern coming-of-age story, stripped of sentimentality and replaced with raw, nervous energy.



A Mirror of a Changing Nation: A Raw Youth is Dostoevsky's most direct exploration of the disintegration of the Russian family and, by extension, the Russian state. Through the lens of Arkady's "accidental family," the novel examines the loss of spiritual unity and the rise of the individual. It is a gripping mystery, a philosophical treatise, and a vivid portrait of a society on the brink of a radical transformation.



Discover the man behind the mask. Purchase "A Raw Youth" today and experience Dostoevsky's most underrated and energetic classic.