Dostoevsky provides tension, suspense within pages

Russian novelist sends readers searching for hook, help for crisis of conscience

The famous Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky is one of those writers who, to the slim readers of our generation, can appear off-putting even before opening one of his works to the first page. Aside from the slimness of his "Notes from Underground" (the vintage edition comes in with around 160 pages), most of the writer's novels are brick-sized texts that appear to be unbearable to read and impossible to get into.

But, as some famous person or movie trailer once said, size doesn't matter; and this certainly is the case for Dostoevsky.

Despite the somewhat threatening appearance of works like "Demons" or his last great novel, "The Brothers Karamazov," I've come to discover that there's an ease with which one reads a work written by Dostoevsky. Have you heard of all those book critics who praise works of popular fiction for the proverbial hook that catches your interest and doesn't let go until the final page? Well, that hook lurks within the dense blocks of text and the nearly hyperactive dialogue of a standard Dostoevsky novel as well.

The only problem with the dialogue, however, is the patience required to find the hook. As rabid readers, most of us grant books a grace period of 50 to 100 pages (depending on the size) with which an author can do whatever is necessary. After the grace period, if a book fails to grab our attention, then it has failed the test and we toss it aside (unless you're a compulsive reader who feels terrible about putting an unfinished book down, in which case, good luck).

For Dostoevsky, at least the first 100 pages are required for the work to latch onto you, especially if the reader is new to the 19th-century, Russia-in-crisis time period where his works primarily take place. If you've got that worn-out copy of "Crime and Punishment" someone handed down to you as a memento or cheap present, then my only advice to you would be to pick it up and stick with the book. Dostoevsky is one of those writers who takes his time in setting events in motion and then, once the crucial event is underway (usually a bloody murder), the work pretty much is unput-down-able (to borrow another disjointed phrase from those who praise popular fiction).

In the case of "Crime and Punishment" — a book I first came across during my last year of high school English class but only appreciated during a college literature course — you can tell that Dostoevsky is preparing us for something grand as we read about the disillusioned Raskolnikov's pre-murder wanderings. And then comes the shockingly violent axe murder, guaranteed to please anyone with popular 21st century sensibilities, and the consuming detective story that follows.

Forget the paperback murder mysteries of today; this novel has more genuine tension and suspense than a shelf full of them, and it's all the more shocking because we know from the outset who the murderer is.

Dostoevsky also is, and most importantly may be, one of those writers for whom re-reading is a pleasurable requirement. While elements of "Crime and Punishment" can be read as a detective thriller and "The Brothers Karamazov" as a courtroom drama, there is a deep morality upon which most of the author's texts are built.

Perhaps the more enjoyable parts of reading a Dostoevsky work are the spiritual crises in which many of his characters find themselves trapped. Are you suffering a crisis of conscience or a crisis of faith? Look no further than Dostoevsky for some enlightening help.