--- product_id: 25398823 title: "Notes from a Dead House (Vintage Classics)" price: "£19.54" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/25398823-notes-from-a-dead-house-vintage-classics store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # Notes from a Dead House (Vintage Classics) **Price:** £19.54 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Notes from a Dead House (Vintage Classics) - **How much does it cost?** £19.54 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/25398823-notes-from-a-dead-house-vintage-classics) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description From the acclaimed translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, hailed as “the premier Russian-to-English translators of the era” ( The New Yorker ), comes a masterful translation of the first great prison memoir: Fyodor Dostoevsky’s fictionalized account of his life-changing penal servitude in Siberia. “A master of psychological portraiture. . . . A testament to the power of the human will, the way it can marshal patience and imagination and hope.”— The New Criterion In 1849, Dostoevsky was sentenced to four years at hard labor in a Siberian prison camp for participating in a socialist discussion group. The novel he wrote after his release, based on notes he smuggled out, not only brought him fame, but also founded the tradition of Russian prison writing. Notes from a Dead House (sometimes translated as The House of the Dead ) depicts brutal punishments, feuds, betrayals, and the psychological effects of confinement, but it also reveals the moments of comedy and acts of kindness that Dostoevsky witnessed among his fellow prisoners. To get past government censors, Dostoevsky made his narrator a common-law criminal rather than a political prisoner, but the perspective is unmistakably his own. His incarceration was a transformative experience that nourished all his later works, particularly Crime and Punishment . Dostoevsky’s narrator discovers that even among the most debased criminals there are strong and beautiful souls. His story is, finally, a profound meditation on freedom: “The prisoner himself knows that he is a prisoner; but no brands, no fetters will make him forget that he is a human being.” Review: A Vibrant New Translation of This Remarkable Memoir/Novel - My love for the writing of Fyodor Dostoevsky has been passed down to the next two generations. It is no accident that one of my grandson's bears the middle name of Fyodor! The author's memoir about prison life - thinly disguised as a novel, has undergone a stunning and beautiful new translation at the hands of the gifted husband and wife team of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Dostoevsky was initially sentenced to die by firing squad for his involvement in a Utopian socialist discussion group. The CTsar commuted his sentence to four years in Siberia. This book, "Notes From A Dead House" represents Dosoevsky's memories of those years, smuggled out of the prison in bits and pieces. Most striking in this narrative is the transformation that the aristocratic protagonist undergoes as he begins to recognize the common humanity that he shares with many of the prisoners - even with the least likable among them. The language in this marvelous translation is rich and evocative. The characters we meet are memorable and idiosyncratic, in many cases giving hints at future fictional characters like Raskolnikov and members of the Karamazov family. For any fan of Dostoevsky's remarkable oeuvre, this book is a welcome addition to your library. Review: In progress ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #53,860 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #17 in Russian & Soviet Literature (Books) #958 in Classic Literature & Fiction #2,307 in Literary Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 493 Reviews | ## Images ![Notes from a Dead House (Vintage Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61NzT6yA6hL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Vibrant New Translation of This Remarkable Memoir/Novel *by A***E on June 9, 2015* My love for the writing of Fyodor Dostoevsky has been passed down to the next two generations. It is no accident that one of my grandson's bears the middle name of Fyodor! The author's memoir about prison life - thinly disguised as a novel, has undergone a stunning and beautiful new translation at the hands of the gifted husband and wife team of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Dostoevsky was initially sentenced to die by firing squad for his involvement in a Utopian socialist discussion group. The CTsar commuted his sentence to four years in Siberia. This book, "Notes From A Dead House" represents Dosoevsky's memories of those years, smuggled out of the prison in bits and pieces. Most striking in this narrative is the transformation that the aristocratic protagonist undergoes as he begins to recognize the common humanity that he shares with many of the prisoners - even with the least likable among them. The language in this marvelous translation is rich and evocative. The characters we meet are memorable and idiosyncratic, in many cases giving hints at future fictional characters like Raskolnikov and members of the Karamazov family. For any fan of Dostoevsky's remarkable oeuvre, this book is a welcome addition to your library. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ In progress *by M***A on March 14, 2026* ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bueno *by M***Z on June 4, 2025* Llego en excelentes condiciones --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/25398823-notes-from-a-dead-house-vintage-classics](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/25398823-notes-from-a-dead-house-vintage-classics) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-16*