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{{infobox1|class-"wikitable" cellpaddingtitle="15"White Nights|sort=White Nights|author=Fyodor Dostoyevsky|reviewer=Heather Magee|genre=Anthologies, Literary Fiction|summary=This collection of three short stories by Dostoyevsky was a delight. The psychological depth of the characters, the ‘skaz’ narrative style and the wonderful moments of humour all make this collection an immensely entertaining read.

<!|rating=5|buy=Yes|borrow=Yes|pages=240|publisher=Penguin Classics|date=February 2023|isbn=978-- PUT NEW REVIEW HERE -->0241619780|website=https://www.fyodordostoevsky.com/

{{infobox|title=A Little Hatred|sort=Little Hatred|author=Joe Abercrombie|reviewer=Alex Mitchell|genre=Fantasy|summary= Featuring a unique setting, witty dialogue and a plethora of likeable and well-written characters, this dark, brutal tale shows a rapidly industrialising world where the old ways refuse to die.|rating=5|buy=yes|borrow=maybe|pages=480|publisher=Gollancz|date=September 2019|isbnvideo=978-0575095861checked|cover=05750958650241619785|aznuk=05750958650241619785|aznus=05750958650241619785

The setting is one that’s not often explored As always in fantasy literatureDostoyevsky, the character work is sublime. One is never left wondering what a character is thinking or feeling because Dostoyevsky lays bare their innermost dispositions and definitely makes it more interestingtemperaments with remarkable clarity.  The world depicted first story, ‘A Nasty Business’ follows Ivan Ilyich Pravinsky, a young man recently appointed as a general. With his newfound status, Ivan fancies himself a progressive, priding himself on his humane values—especially in A Little Hatred contrast to his colleagues, whom he dismisses as "retrogrades”. One evening, he literally (and drunkenly) stumbles upon a subordinate’s wedding, and decides to enter, boasting his indifference towards class divisions. What unfolds is neither a hilariously cringe-worthy series of events in which Ivan Ilyich’s supposed humility completely medieval European-style fantasyunravels. His drunken antics quickly make him the unwelcome centre of attention. He ruins the wedding, nor completely Gaslamp-style fantasyends up sleeping in the bridal bed, but a world that is transitioning from and vomits throughout the former night—his noble intentions amounting to the latternothing but chaos and embarrassment. The chapters set brilliance of this story lies in Leo and Rikke’s pointDostoyevsky's ability to craft situations that leave the reader wincing at Ivan Ilyich’s utter lack of self-awareness. Despite his self-image as a man of-view involves the province people, his behaviour disrupts the natural social order, revealing the farcical limits of Angland repelling his ‘progressive’ ideals. ‘The Meek One’, the second story, is longer and written in a much larger invading force in more fragmented prose, mirroring the form scattered mental state of its narrator, a middle-aged pawnbroker. He opens the armies story in a state of Scale Ironhandshock, king having just discovered that his young wife has committed suicide minutes before he arrived home. He recounts the events of the Norththeir troubled relationship, marked by his misguided attempt to ‘save’ her from her dismal family situation by proposing to her.  This so-called noble intention, however, only serves to underscore his own emotional ineptitude. In his brother Black Calder efforts to make her understand what kind of man he is, he chooses to remain silent in her company, a silence she mirrors, and his nephew Stour Nightfallwhich breeds mistrust and ill-feeling between them.The Russian skaz narrative style, which seems much more like mimics the spoken word, works beautifully here to portray the narrator as a bumbling fool, as if he were a schoolchild recounting an incident to an exasperated teacher.  This story of a neglected wife and her clueless husband dispels into a very nihilistic worldview held by our narrator, who has displayed nothing but cowardice and insecurity throughout the tale. To put it lightly, the ending is anything but satisfactory.  The titular story, ‘White Nights’, is my favourite. The unnamed narrator, a classic fantasy novel plotdreamy and lonely young man, stumbles upon Nastenka one wintry night. She appears vulnerable, crying in the street, and he feels compelled to speak to her. MeanwhileEven the fact that he learns her name, while she never asks for his, speaks volumes about the Union dynamics between them. He is on helplessly drawn to her; she simply hosts his kindness.   The two decide to get to know one another over the brink course of an industrial revolutionseveral nights, which is mostly told through sharing the eyes stories of Savine and other characterstheir lives. It doesn’t shy away from showing Our narrator speaks first, lamenting the isolation that has defined his existence: "And in vain does the ugly side of industrial revolutiondreamer rake through his old dreams, as if they were ashes, eithersearching in these ashes for at least some little spark, child labour is often used in order to maximise profits fan it into flames…” His poetic outpourings could easily come off as self-pitying, but Dostoyevsky’s beautiful imagery and workers are being put out turns of employment phrase make them captivating. The narrator is a typical eccentric, romantic type—driven by these new machinesa "morbidly excited imagination. As such" His aloof sincerity charms Nastenka, who seems, at best, there are also rising factions of this world’s equivalent entertained by his flights of fancy.  Nastenka, however, is just as lonely as our narrator. She reveals that for the Luddites: past year she has been bound to her blind grandmother’s clothes as punishment for mischief. She had little social life, except for a young lodger with whom she developed a slow-burning romance. The day she meets our hero is the Breakersday she has been waiting for—the day of her lover’s return from Moscow. Our narrator, besotted with Nastenka, who just want agrees to smash help her reunite with her lost love, despite his growing feelings for her.  Over the machines that have taken course of four nights, their jobsfriendship deepens, blossoming into love. There’s a beautiful symmetry in Dostoyevsky’s portrayal of Nastenka’s world: her blind grandmother, deaf maid, and mute, lame previous lodger—all incapable of fully engaging with life. In contrast, our hero, so acutely attuned to the Burnersworld through his sensitivity and emotion, seems like an irresistible force of change in her life.  Eventually, who are much more anarchical our hero can bear it no longer: he confesses his love and want after some consideration, Nastenka reciprocates, both lonely souls now bound to bring down each other. Their brief moment of mutual affection is portrayed as a delicate dance, their emotions rippling between them through subtle gestures—a squeeze of the hand, a tear welling up, a sharp intake of breath. But this dance is interrupted by the return of Nastenka’s former lover. She ultimately chooses the entire ruling classlife she had dreamed of before meeting our hero, leaving him to retreat once again into his solitary existence.  Nastenka remains an ambiguous figure. ThankfullyIs she a selfish soul, carelessly toying with our narrator's feelings? Or is she, like him, simply lonely and desperate, swept up by the kindness of a stranger? Her letter to the plentiful dark comedy narrator after she becomes engaged, inviting him to her wedding, is thoughtless and dry wit acts almost cruel. It’s hard not to alleviate some of the more depressing moments in the bookside with our hapless hero as he is left with nothing but his shattered dreams. {{amazontext|amazon=0241619785}}

{{Frontpage|author=Fyodor Dostoyevsky|title=White Nights|rating=5 |genre=Anthologies, Literary Fiction|summary=As always in Dostoyevsky, the character work is sublime. One is never left wondering what a character is thinking or feeling because Dostoyevsky lays bare their innermost dispositions and temperaments with remarkable clarity.|isbn=0241619785}}