About this book
What if a glance from a stranger is enough to turn your proudest morning into a private nightmare?
In Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Double, Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin wakes in Petersburg, unsure whether his dreams have ended. A small mirror reassures him. A worn wallet holds seven hundred and fifty rubles, which he counts with delight. He dresses with care and prepares to go out, eager to look the part of a man whose plans are going well.
But pleasure keeps slipping into suspicion. His servant Petrushka talks with others in the hall, and Golyadkin feels betrayed without knowing what they say. A hired blue carriage promises a grand entrance into the city. Then he spots two fellow officials and shrinks into a dark corner. This psychological thriller makes identity, appearances, and a troubled sense of self feel painfully close.
What you’ll discover
- A mind watching itself Follow Golyadkin as satisfaction with his reflection gives way to uneasy self-consciousness.
- Finery and frayed edges Petrushka’s oversized borrowed uniform puts an awkward edge on his master’s careful preparations.
- Money held like hope A carefully counted bundle of banknotes gives Golyadkin a glowing sense of possibility.
- Petersburg beyond the window Damp streets and passing faces turn a carriage ride into an anxious public appearance.
- Confidence on fragile ground Feel the distance between the dignity Golyadkin displays and the fear he hides.
Who will love it
For readers who love psychological thrillers exploring identity, madness, and the self.
What’s inside
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Read and hear El doble in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
El doble
by Fiódor Dostoyevski · 1846
Identity, madness, and the self meet in a haunting psychological thriller.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
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