I really do adore Dostoevsky, I honestly, whole-heartedly do. He, alongside Dickens probably, are two authors that I don't reach for all that often, mostly because their works are both enormous and quite emotionally taxing, but I end up loving every single one I read. Same goes for this short story collection.

I really loved the fact that Dostoevsky could be a bit more experimental in this one, exploring themes - even moods - that he wouldn't usually depict in his books. The premise of the story where a man gets swallowed by a crocodile had me dying, but upon reading it, I think we can still see some more serious and socially aware themes throughout the story. The premise may seem funny, even silly, but the story is still a critique of contemporary society, and I also found it to be a very poignant depiction of toxic masculinity and male self-obsession. It was definitely my favourite story out of the book, and I'll probably go back to it again at some point.

I also really enjoyed the story about the writer in the cemetery. Once again, the premise reads like a very absurd sitcom (and I think it would make a great limited series to be honest), but it ends up being reflective and critical. It definitely left me wanting more, so I think this is another story I will be revisiting.

** An ARC was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **

A new translation of six stories by Fyodor Dostoevsky (four longish, two quite short) from late in his career. Several of the stories are quite clearly satirical, and even divorced of any cultural context were pretty funny. But I couldn't shake the impression that if I were living in St. Petersburg in 1876 they would have been <i>hilarious</i>. Worth reading to experience a more-lighthearted Dostoevsky than you might have expected, and probably very rewarding for someone with a great handle on Russian domestic politics in the 1870s.

Classic stories, invariably loved. This is the first time I'm reading Dostoevsky stories, and I definitely want to explore more. Always a treat to read Pushkin titles!

This a very good collection for both those new to Dostoevsky and those well-versed as it provides some lesser known short stories. Pushkin Press is always an instant purchase for me and this is another fantastic edition to their line.

These 6 new translations of Dostoevsky’s short writings were new to me, but gave me everything I would expect from this author. Some of the stories are longer than others, but they all pack a punch and are filled with the usual insightful characters and commentary on Russian society. Each one of these tales feels relevant today because Dostoevsky masterfully examines the human condition in everything. Some of these are funny, the title stories A Bad Business, Conversations in a Graveyard (Bobok), and Crocodile are silly fun, but of course are full of metaphor and meaning. A Meek Creature, The Heavenly Christmas Tree and the Peasant Marey show us the brutal side of Russian society, poverty, prison life, war. Doestoevsky perceptively writes from many points of view that is still relevant and relatable today. This was a really fun reading experience for me and I recommend.

This collection of six short stories shows the full range of Dostoyevsky’s themes from the satirical humour of The Crocodile to the sadness of The Heavenly Christmas Tree. A dark comedy about class in A Bad Business (also known as A Nasty Story). Bobok or Conversations in a Graveyard is about an author lingering in a graveyard overhearing the chatter of the recently dead. The sixth story is A Meek Creature (or A Gentle Spirit) about the suicide of a young bride. Her pawnbroker husband narrates the story, justifying all his own actions leading up to it. Such a great writer, I loved this book!

Honestly, i didn't expect to find a book by Fyodor Dostoyevsky here on NetGalley. However, i am glad that i did for i have never read his collection of short stories before,so this book is the first for me.

There are 6 stories featured in this book. Out of all these stories, my favourites are the first story, A Bad Business which also makes up the book's title. The story is about a high level officer who crashes into the wedding of one of his subordinates,uninvited. He was craving for the recognitions,admirations and respects from his subordinates,only to find his plan/intentions backfired and ended up humiliating himself.

The Meek One is another one of my favourite,as it is quite an unusual and very emotional kind of love story of a pawnbroker who tried so hard to win the affection and respect from his very young and meek wife but the ways he is projecting his love is too absurd ended up driving his wife further away from him and misunderstood him more.

Surprisingly, i didn't expect to have also liked this other story about a man who is swallowed alive by a crocodile at an exhibition!. It was a very odd and weird story (and somehow grotesque; i find the part where the crocodile was ingesting and spitting out the man to be repulsive, so i even skipped reading those detailed and descriptive parts actually huhu). Suddenly, when the eaten man started talking from inside the crocodile's belly, my repulsiveness turned into curiousity and i couldn't believe i even find myself laughing at times. Quite an interesting story,as the story also talks about some economic principles and plans for economic reforms by a vain and very ambitious man from underneath a crocodile's stomach!.

Overall, the stories are not bad but they aren't that great either. A story left me feeling disappointed with the abrupt and cliffhanger ending while the other left me extremely bored,confused and uninterested for being utterly nonsensical and bringing me nowhere. So you might want to skip that story.

However, if you are a fan of Dostoyevsky's like i did, and wanted to try reading his short stories,you might want to give this book a try as i still enjoyed reading this book despite some of the minor hiccups, but still some of the stories left me crying and laughing (like seriously, that Christmas story made me cry really hard for it is very sad!).

I haven't gotten around to read all of it but I will say if you like this author you will like it. For me he gets wordy and boring but the story is always good so its worth pushing through.

New translations of 6 short stories. I really enjoyed The Crocodile. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I had read Dostoevsky's major novels but none of his short stories, so this seemed like a good chance to change that. These stories were very different from the novels, and I have to say I prefer the novels, but I'm not a big fan of short stories in general.

Since I don't know the Russian language, I can't judge the accuracy of the translation, but I did a quick comparison of a couple of the stories with different translations I found online. I didn't find any major differences, but did feel that the translations in this book read a little more smoothly.

Thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Ok this was amazing. Russian literature? Amazing!! I really do love Russian classics and to be able to focus on 6 fantastic Russian stories was great. I really ended up enjoying this more then I expected to and would definitely recommend. 5 out of 5 stars.

"A Bad Business" is a collection of Dostoevsky's most beloved short stories; ideal for readers that have yet to dip their toes into the genius that is Fyodor Dostoevsky's prose and stories.

A Bad Business was a delightful and fascinating short story collection, not least because it showcased a different side to Dostoevsky than we see in his novels. There is still some psychological introspection here, but there is also humour and wit. 'The Crocodile' in particular kept me smiling from start to finish, and that was one of my favourite tales, along with 'The Meek One' and 'A Bad Business'. If you are already a fan of Dostoevsky, you will want to check out this collection. If you've wanted to read Dostoevsky but have worried the novels will be too heavy going, these short stories may offer a good place to start. The book gets five stars from me.

A Bad business is a collection of short stories by one of the finest Russian writers, Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated into English.
The first story, A Bad Company, starts with the protagonist enforcing the idea of “Love thy neighbour” egomaniacally to influence his company. He wanted his subordinates to feel loved with an ulterior motive to gain respect and trust.
The story revolves around a few “inferior” characters, troubled by their existential crises, “rescued” by our protagonist upon an uninvited appearance at their reception. Blinded by his feyness, he ends by making the lives of everyone excruciatingly painful.
Overall, a quick read for someone who fancies an imbecilic privileged character dictating the social norms. The wittiness of the author is visible by the grand descriptions of the protagonist’s internal conflicts put into words.
The second story in the book is called Conversations in a Graveyard. In the story, the author faces endless rejections from his publishers. Amidst his woes, he visits the cemetery to honour his uncle. Suddenly, he gets on the ground and starts hearing dead people having meaningless conversations.
These last few pages were a complete waste of time. Skip.

After reading, A Meek Creature, I closed the book, stood up, felt my heartbeat and had a glass of water. Wow, where to begin?
Not a usual love story. It starts slowly when our protagonist meets this young girl who visits his pawnshop. Over time, he grows fond of her and decides to marry.
Overpowered by the past, the protagonist sternness overwhelms the free-spirited, proud girl. Their relationship follows a whirlwind of emotions with periods of uncomfortable silence followed by a series of incidents that neither party liked or hoped to take place. One day by a change of heart, the protagonist starts to worship his wife like a newly found infatuation and decides to have a fresh start to their relationship until fate comes in the way.
A must-read.
I just finished The Crocodile, and I am disappointed. Proses were forced, absurd and lacking in character.
The story begins with three people visiting the new monster, the crocodile, who arrived in town. One of the characters consumed by the crocodile and somehow alive talks about science and deter’s social ideology. He wishes to live as a monument of change and dictate new reforms.
The story has no proper ending. It feels as, like a reader, Dostoevsky might have got bored and just stopped.
The last two stories in this book were a quick read of mear 15-20 pages or so, but you shouldn’t. They were a couple of dreams our dear author had and penned later.
If you decide to pick this book, the only story that is a worthwhile read is A Meek Creature. The title story, A Bad Business, was somewhat okay. The reader won’t be losing anything by skipping it. As for the rest of the book - avoid.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a pre-published copy of A Bad Business by Fyodor Dostoevsky.