Sämtliche Werke 22: Ein kleiner Held : Vier Novellen

In this collection the narrator’s youthful eyes wander through a whirlwind of celebration on a sprawling country estate near Moscow. At barely eleven, he is swept into endless feasts, horse‑rides, and theatre, while the glittering ladies and boisterous guests swirl around him like a living tableau. The story captures the dizzying contrast between the opulent surface of the gatherings and the child’s still‑forming understanding of the subtle rivalries and whispered gossip that underpin them, painting a vivid picture of innocence confronting adult complexity.

The volume also brings together three companion pieces from Dostoevsky’s earliest period—a festive wedding‑and‑Christmas tale, the fragmentary yet psychologically intense “Njetotschka Neswanowa,” and the poignant street‐wise vignette “Bettelknabe.” Together they explore the inner lives of children and the fragile, often overlooked emotions that shape their worlds, offering a rare glimpse into the author’s formative storytelling with a blend of humor, melancholy, and acute observation.