Fyodor Dostoevsky called his fiction a type of “fantastic realism,” while others have described his work as a display of “cruel talent” or of “the most that can happen.” This seminar will examine the first few decades of Fyodor Dostoevsky's career, starting with his 1846 debut. Readings may include: Poor Folk, The Double, House of the Dead, Notes from Underground, Crime and Punishment, and The Idiot. We will also read short stories by Nikolai Gogol that form the immediate literary context for Dostoevsky’s earliest work.