ABSTRACT
Dostoevsky’s experiences in the years after the publication of Poor Folk read like something in one of his novels. This is no accident; life imitated art in an unconsciously determined way. The instant success of the first novel did not last, as critical voices were raised. A rapid rise and fall took place on the personal side as well. Dostoevsky was initially welcomed into the Petersburg literary circle surrounding Belinsky, but soon antagonized most of the members of this group as a boastful, vain, and domineering side of his personality emerged. As this was going on, he published his second novel, The Double, which met with a much less favorable response than Poor Folk. Significantly, The Double deals with the disastrous effects that occur when “another” side of the hero’s personality breaks out. The criticism and rejection of both his work and his person precipitated a severe “nervous disorder”: he became intensely anxious, fearful of death, suffered a number of hypochondriacal symptoms, and a disturbance in his sense of reality. He was able to weather this crisis with the help of a supportive doctor and friends and a gain in insight. As always, his tumultuous personal affairs provided material for his writing. The Double, even though completed at the beginning of this period, provides important information about its author’s psychological state.
