By: Tasnia Shahrin
Author Bio:
Tasnia is a literature enthusiast, currently diving into her second Master's degree in Literature and Society at the University of Edinburgh. She’s a voracious reader with a particular love for Romantic fiction and poetry. In this review, she spills her thoughts on Fyodor Dostoevsky's iconic novella, White Nights.
THE REVIEW:
If you’re into stories where the main character spends half his time daydreaming
and the other half trying to find someone to share those dreams with, then look no
further as Dostoevsky’s got your back. This novella is like a love letter to the
hopeless romantics and dreamers out there, following a guy who’s so wrapped up
in his fantasies that he almost forgets to live in the real world. When he meets
Nastenka, their nights of deep conversations and wistful wanderings through St.
Petersburg feel like a perfect blend of magic and heartbreak.
What really hooked me on White Nights is Dostoevsky’s writing style in this book,
which is like a double shot of espresso for your emotions. The way he dives deep
into the narrator’s inner world is both intense and kind of mesmerizing. It’s like
Dostoevsky’s got this magic touch for capturing those raw and awkward feelings
of longing and hope, making you feel every bit of the narrator’s romantic ideal and
his heartache. The prose is rich and reflective, almost poetic at times, which makes
the whole experience feel like you’re wandering through a dreamscape with the
character.
Putting the writing style aside, I want to claim from my reading experience, that
the main point of attraction in this novella is its central theme of unrequited love.
The narrator falls head over heels for Nastenka, but his love never quite gets
returned the way he hopes. It’s that classic, painful feeling of giving everything
emotionally, only to realize that the other person’s heart is somewhere else. If
you’ve ever had a crush on someone who didn’t feel the same way, you’ll totally
relate to the narrator’s mix of hope, confusion, and eventual heartbreak. It’s raw,
relatable, and just a little bit gut-wrenching, like the ache in Taylor Swift’s version
of 'All Too Well': “You kept me like a secret and I kept you like an oath.”
This portrayal of unrequited love isn’t just about rejection; it’s about the kind of
longing that never quite goes away. The narrator’s feelings for Nastenka grow
stronger even as the chances of them being together fade, and it’s a feeling that
anyone can relate to, whether it’s that person you had a crush on in high school or
someone you can’t get over years later. Dostoevsky really brings out that space
where love exists but isn’t returned in the way you hope. And honestly, unrequited
love is kind of timeless, isn’t it? Whether it’s “F.R.I.E.N.D.S” with Ross pining for
Rachel or every romantic comedy where one character is stuck in the "friend
zone"; unreciprocated love continues to be a theme we can’t escape. In White
Nights, Dostoevsky nails that painful mix of hope and heartache, capturing the
vulnerability of loving someone who can’t love you back in the same way. It’s this
emotional rawness that makes the story resonate, no matter how much time passes.
That said, the writing of this theme can also feel a bit over the top
sometimes. The narrator’s endless introspection can drag a bit, and if you’re not
into that kind of sentimental thoughts, it might feel like a lot to wade through. But
if you’re down for a literary rollercoaster through the highs and lows of unrequited
love, Dostoevsky’s style adds a unique, almost hypnotic quality to the story. It’s
definitely a different vibe from more straightforward narratives, but that’s part of
what makes White Nights such a memorable read.
So, to wrap it up, White Nights is a real gem of a read that dives deep into
those feels we all know too well - love, longing, and the pain of dreams that don’t
quite pan out. Even though the novella’s setting is way back in the past, the themes
of unrequited love and searching for something more are super relatable today. It’s
like Dostoevsky’s tapping into those universal feelings we all deal with, whether
it’s in the dating world or just life in general. The writing might be a bit
introspective for some, but that’s what gives it that intimate and emotional punch.
If you’re into classic literature or just looking for a story that really digs into the
human experience, White Nights is definitely worth checking out.
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