Poor Folk

Two lives bound by letters, longing, and the weight of poverty.

Poor Folk (1846), by Fyodor Dostoevsky, is his powerful debut novel—a tender yet heartbreaking exploration of love, dignity, and survival among society's most vulnerable.

Told through an intimate series of letters, the story follows Makar Devushkin, a humble government clerk, and his distant relative Varvara Dobroselova, a poor young woman. Their correspondence reveals their daily struggles, small joys, and quiet despair as they endure poverty and social injustice in St. Petersburg.

With compassion and psychological depth, Dostoevsky captures the voices of ordinary people, showing how hope and humanity endure even in the harshest conditions. The novel's emotional power and social critique immediately marked Dostoevsky as one of Russia's most important literary voices.

Both a love story and a social commentary, Poor Folk remains a moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

Click «Buy Now» and discover Dostoevsky's poignant first novel of love, hardship, and dignity.