well, on my own, i probably would not choose this book for lesiure reading. but as it was, it was my lit text in school. and yes, it was a kick to be able to pronounce the author's name. once, i got to know a russian friend (an old and kindly gentleman). in order to warm the conversation up somewhat, i said "ah, i know another russian guy but he doesn't know me. his name is fyodor dostoyevesky." my new russian friend laughed. so yeah, fyodor's well-known in russia. read the book for an insight into a young murderer's psychic and for an unrestricted view of a large russian city in the 19th century.