(16) Dostoevsky's days in Geneva - Start of writing "The Idiot" and birth of the famous manager, Madame Anna

Travels in Switzerland] (16) Dostoevsky's Days in Geneva - Start of Writing "The Idiot" and Birth of the Famous Manager, Madame Anna

Holbein's in Basel.The Dead Christ in the TombDostoevsky was strongly shocked when he saw the

The next stop for the couple was Geneva, Switzerland. Here they would stay for a long time.

Beginning of life in Geneva

As soon as we arrived in Geneva, we set out to look for a furnished room to rent. We walked most of the streets we could find and looked at various rooms, but none of them were what we expected. Some were too expensive, some were too noisy, and some were too bad for my health. It was almost dusk when we finally found a room that suited us. It was a rather spacious room on the second floor at the corner of rue Guillaume Tell and rue Berteil, with a central window overlooking the bridge over the Rhone River and the small island of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The innkeepers, the elderly, single Raymondin sisters, were very nice. They were both very amiable and kind to me, so I immediately decided to stay here.

Life in Geneva began with very little money. After paying two months' rent in advance to the landlord, we were left with only 18 francs on the fourth day and the prospect of 50 rubles. But we were used to living on meager sums of money, and when we ran out, we went to the pawnshop. At first this life was very pleasant, especially after the uncertain days in Baden.

Misuzu Shobo, Anna Dostoevskaya, translated by Hiroshi MatsushitaDostoevsky in Recollection."p181

Geneva is located on the shores of Lake Geneva. Dostoevsky stayed in this city famous for Rousseau and Voltaire. The search for a room went well, and they seemed to be able to start a peaceful life, a far cry from the hell of Baden-Baden.

How Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky spend a day in Geneva

As in Dresden, our day was regular here. My husband worked at night, so he never got up before eleven o'clock. After breakfast together, I would go for a doctor's appointment walk, and he would get to work. At three o'clock we would go to a restaurant for lunch. He would drop me off at a café on Mont Blanc Street where there were Russian newspapers and spend two hours reading The Voice, The Moscow Gazette, and The Petersburg Gazette. I also read newspapers in foreign languages. Around seven o'clock in the evening, they would go for another long walk together, often pausing at the brightly lit show windows of the most luxurious stores to make sure I did not get too tired. He would then go through the store windows, sifting through the trinkets and other items that he would give me if he had the money. Indeed, my husband was a man of fine taste, and all of the items he looked at were of the finest quality.

I spent the evening dictating my husband's new work and reading French books. My husband made sure that I read systematically, studying the works of one author and not being distracted by the works of others. He was a big fan of Balzac and Georges Sand, whose works I gradually began to read and completed. We often talked about what I had read on our walks, and my husband would explain to me how good they were. I was surprised to learn that my husband, who is quick to forget even the most recent events, could clearly remember the plot and the names of the main characters in the novels of this favorite author. He remembered that he had bought "The Sister Bets," especially the first part, "The Poor Clan," with great appreciation. In the winter of 1867-68, he himself re-read Victor Hugo's famous "Les Misérables.

Misuzu Shobo, Anna Dostoevskaya, translated by Hiroshi MatsushitaDostoevsky in Recollection."p181-182

Dostoevsky is a typical night owl. It is strangely satisfying that those chaotic novels of Dostoevsky were written in the middle of the night. That chaos does not suit a fresh morning.

And it is interesting to note that Dostoevsky was reading Hugo's "Les Misérables" again here in Geneva. Dostoevsky had devoured "Les Misérables" just after its release in Ferenze during his trip in 1862. For him, "Les Misérables" was a work that he loved from the bottom of his heart.

And in fact, it will be written from now on.The Moron.The "Remisé" will also have a significant impact on the

For more on Dostoevsky and "Remisé" see the following articleDostoevsky also loved "Les Misérables," the deep relationship between Remisée and Dostoevsky."We would be happy if you could refer to the following

Dostoevsky suffering from the harsh climate of Geneva and writing "The Idiot" - the birth of the famous manager Mrs. Anna.

Unfortunately, we soon came to regret our choice of Geneva as a place to settle down. In the fall, a strong whirlwind called a bead began to blow, changing the weather two or three times a day. My husband's nerves could not tolerate these weather changes, and his epileptic seizures began to increase in frequency. This made him very anxious, and since my husband had to start work soon, the repeated bedridden epileptic seizures interfered with his work.

In the fall of 1867, my husband was busy formulating a plan and beginning to write "The Idiot," which he planned to publish in "The Russia Report" early the following year. The idea for this novel was "to depict a perfectly beautiful human being with a deep attachment that I have long cherished.distance between outstretched thumb and middle finger (approx. 18 cm)＊However, it was "extremely difficult. All of these things irritated my husband. Unfortunately, he also worried that I might be lonely, even though there was no need to think that way at all. My husband's letter to Maiukovletter**As I wrote in my book, "The World of Love," we were living on a "desert island," completely isolated from the rest of the world at the time. No matter how much I tried to convince him that I was happy just to be able to live with him and that I did not want anything else but for him to love me, it did little to persuade him. I also lamented that I wondered why he did not have the money to take me to the theater, the Louvre, and other museums to entertain me.board**I was a very good husband. How little my husband knew me back then!

　　*Husband's letter to Ivanov, dated January 1, 1868.
　**Letter dated October 9, 1867.
**Same.

In short, Fyodor Mikhailovich was very depressed. I suggested that he go to Saxon-les-Bains to try his luck at roulette again (Saxon-les-Bains was a five-hour train ride from Geneva, where gambling had long been banned). My husband agreed and we went to Saxon for a few days from October to November 1867. As I had expected, the gambling did not bring any financial benefits, but the results were positive in other ways. The environment changed, I traveled, and once again I had an intense experience.(in neo-Confucianism) the underlying principles of the cosmos＊And then his mood changed. After returning to Geneva, my husband worked diligently on the work he had aborted, completing about six sheets (93 pages) of printed paper in twenty-three days for the new year's issue of "The Russia Report.

*Letter to me, dated November 17, 1867.

Misuzu Shobo, Anna Dostoevskaya, translated by Hiroshi MatsushitaDostoevsky in Recollection."p184-185

Geneva's harsh climate seemed to take a toll on Dostoevsky's body, and he suffered from seizures of his chronic epilepsy. But there was nothing they could do. They have no money. They can't move anywhere.

Dostoevsky becomes more and more depressed by such a difficult situation. He is not getting any work done.

I couldn't stand to see my husband like that, so I said to him.'Go to Saxon-les-Bains and try your "luck" at roulette again.'This was the word of Mrs. Anna.

How about this, I can't help but admire Mrs. Anna. After all those hellish days in Baden-Baden, how could anyone say, "Try your luck at roulette again"?

Moreover, it actually restored Dostoevsky's mood and greatly facilitated the writing of "The Idiot.

This was the moment when Mrs. Anna's masterful managerial skills were on display. No one could have been such an excellent assistant to the writer Dostoevsky. At that time, Anna was pregnant. She wanted money for the baby to be born in the future as much as possible. But even so, she still recommended roulette to Dostoevsky. I can only say that she was a fearsome Tanryoku.

In this connection, the latter part of Mrs. Anna's statement above: "As I expected, the gambling did not bring any financial benefits, but the results were positive in other ways. The environment changed, I traveled, and once again I had an intense experience.(in neo-Confucianism) the underlying principles of the cosmos＊And then his mood changed." In"I'm going through something intense again."I would like to look at the part that says

Mrs. Anna annotates these words and states that they are contained in "a letter to me dated November 17, 1867. Let us examine the letter to see what she means by "intense experience. The letters are the best source to know the private Dostoevsky. It is a bit long, but I dare to quote it in full. I hope you will take the time to feel what kind of letters Dostoevsky wrote to his wife.

To my wife Anna

Saxon les Bains, Sunday, November 17, 1867

My little dove, my joy, my Arnetika, my Sonetika, my Mishka (I prepared two names for the child before it was born, male and female), together with you!three people,,to all of you a hearty kiss (if you need one). And to you, Anya, fifty pens. How are you, nostalgic little dove? How are you spending your time? Is your body strong? I can't stop thinking about you. I arrived fifteen minutes before four o'clock. What a beautiful day! What beautiful scenery on the way! This time it was twice as beautiful as the last time. What a wonderful place, Vouvet, for example. I won't mention Montreux now. I visited Vouvez in detail. It is a nice town, and probably has good housing, doctors, and hotels. I say this, Ernestica, in case of emergency. But my grandmothers are worth something, too,when you least expect it、、、、、、You would have helped me, though. Oh, sweet little dove, you shouldn't have let go of me and given me to Roulette! I was a little too quick, or my chest was already numb, my limbs began to tremble, and I was getting cold. I arrived here 15 minutes before 4:00 p.m., but Roulette told me it was only until 5:00 p.m. (I had thought it was only until 4:00 p.m.). That meant I had an hour to spare. I suddenly rushed out. I lost 50 francs in the first few games, but then my performance suddenly improved, and I don't know how much I won because I didn't count it. Then came the dreaded losing streak, and I was almost at the end of my rope. Suddenly, however, he had completely lost the 125 francs he had brought with him, with the very last of his money.We got it back.、、、、、In addition, I made a profit of one hundred and ten francs. I now have a total of 235 francs in my pocket. I miss you, Anya.100 francs、、、、I thought about sending it, but it was too little. At least two hundred francs would be nice. In exchange, I will send youSolemn,,I swear to you, I will play the game in the evening from 8:00 to 11:00, with the same calm and unmatched attitude as the Jews, I swear. If I make even a fraction of the money I'm making now, I'll give it to you as soon as tomorrow.Send money、、、、I myself will definitely return the day after tomorrow, i.e., Tuesday. I myself will definitely return the day after tomorrow, i.e., Tuesday.

I wonder when this letter will reach you. I have just left my pen for a while, as I have just brought some food. The boy forgot his bread, so I went downstairs to ask for it, and suddenly the owner of the hotel met me (probably thinking I was a Russian) and said, "I've forgotten my bread, so I'll bring you some more.I just received a telegram.、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、、?" I was so surprised that I was surprised. I was startled. I looked at it and saw that the name was Mr. Stablewsky, so I replied, "No, it's not mine. I tried to pull it back and eat it, but I couldn't stop the turmoil. If something happened to you, a housewife or a doctor must have sent a telegram at your request. My Russian name is often mistaken, and I've been messed up at the post office, too-oh, what if it came from you? So I went down again and asked him if he could tell me where the telegram came from. (I wanted to open it and read it out of the blue!),procedure、、、、He said it was from the Oh dear, thank God! Oh, how I am chilled! Oh, Arnetica, how I have missed you, my joy! I will be thinking about you all the time. Take care of yourself! I beg you. I send you a kiss. My little dove, how I regret it! Earlier I was so nervous that I got so angry and yelled at you. You are my angel, and you know how much I love and worship you. Just love me. Good-bye, my dear Anya. I will definitely be back by Tuesday. I will kiss you ten million times and worship you forever. I will love you and be faithful to you.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Fyodor Dostoevskyi

My health is good. I am in the best of moods. It was a pleasant trip. With youthey (of people) (used to refer to one's equals or inferiors),,I wish you the best of luck. Anya, don't count on making too much money, don't fantasize about it. You might lose. But I swear to you, I will do it calmly like a Jew.

Kawade Shobo Shinsha, translated by Masao Yonekawa, The Complete Works of Dostoev-Fuskii 17, p. 95-96

How about this? This is the letter that the great writer Dostoevsky sent to his wife. The "intense experience" that Mrs. Anna refers to probably refers to the excitement of winning and losing rapidly at gambling, as described here.

However, for me personally, the letter that Dostoevsky wrote the day after this letter left a greater impression than this letter. It would be too long to quote the whole letter, so I would like to introduce a part of it.

To my wife Anna

Saxon les Bains, Monday, November 18, 1867

My precious, irreplaceable Anya, I am totally lost, totally, totally lost! Oh, my angel, please do not be sad, do not worry! Please believe me, the time has come when I will finally become a man who will not be ashamed to be your husband. I will no longer strip you like a lowly, filthy thief! From now on, only the long story, only the long story, will save us. You have no idea how much hope I have in this! Please believe me, I will carry out my purpose and win your respect. I will not gamble anymore. It was the same in 1865. I could not imagine a more ruinous situation, but work came to my rescue. I set to work with love and hope. Watch what happens in two years. My angel, this time do not worry! I am hopeful and my heart is with you, but I can't move until Thursday. This is why. （I am not going to be able to move until Thursday.)

By the way, as for the cost of our future customer, the little angel, I will devise and get the money by then. No matter how hard I have to work, I will show you that I will finish my work, little by little at first, but eventually, I will finish it quickly!

I miss you Anya, please don't get upset! I'm good now. But how about me, who's sitting on my ass until Thursday, waiting for the time when I can see you again? Anya, I am not worthy to be your husband. But for this one time, please bear with me. I will return to you with strong hope. And I swear to you, I promise a future of happiness for you. Just love me, and I will love you infinitely and forever. Do not think that I did what I did because my love for you was light, because it lacked weight. God will show you how much I myself have been punished and how much I have suffered. But most of all, I am suffering for you. Now that you are...all on one's own、、、、I am so worried that I will not be able to take care of myself by brooding, crying, and suffering. Anya, my divine angel, please understand that I am serious. I am serious. From now on, a different life will begin. You will finally see me at work for real. I will restore and redeem everything. The last time you went away dead, but this time there is hope in my heart. The only hard part is how I will live until Thursday! Goodbye, my angel, I embrace you and kiss you! Oh, why have I left you? I kiss your hands and feet. I love you forever, Fyodor Dostoevsky!

Kawade Shobo Shinsha, translated by Masao Yonekawa, The Complete Works of Dostoev-Fuskii 17, p. 96-98

The letter is full of Dostoevsky's determination to write. The "near ruin" of 1865 described in this letter was when he was penniless in the casino town of Wiesbaden, and it was in this desperate situation that Dostoevsky created "Crime and Punishment". For more on this, see.(1) A brief introduction to Dostoevsky (1821-1866, "from birth to around the time of Crime and Punishment") before he met his wife, Anna.Please refer to the following section of this report for a discussion of this issue.

This letter clearly shows Dostoevsky's vitality. It is clear that Madame Anna's strategy was the most successful of all. It is a great triumph of Mrs. Anna's mastery of Dostoevsky's mind.

After going through the hell of Baden-Baden, Mrs. Anna may have gained a kind of resigned mastery. Dostoevsky's gambling addiction, tantrums, and post-epileptic depression were not his personality itself, but his illness. They are like a fever that cannot be suppressed by the mind alone. So, as a part of Dostoevsky, we have to give that up. But if it is like a fever, it will subside one day, depending on how you deal with it. The usual workmanlike, brilliant, and gentle Dostoevsky will return. I believe that is what Mrs. Anna was trying to support him with.

Mrs. Anna also wrote in her diary at the end of Baden-BadenI have to be very patient during my illness," he said. But that's nothing. Because other times are so much better, and on other days he is so warm-hearted and good to me. And I know that when he yells or swears, it is because he is sick and not out of malice. (Diary, p. 295-6)"He wrote.

The two gradually became more in tune with each other, as Anna began to learn how to adapt to Dostoevsky and Dostoevsky began to trust her and surrender his body and soul to her.

In Geneva, you can see the two of them in a friendly atmosphere. I would like to introduce some of them.

Dostovsky, who is now quick to try to make up after a quarrel.

Today is the second day since the seizure and he is in a bad mood. When we had coffee, he said, "I don't know how you used to drink coffee without a care in the world. I took it as a sign that he was ashamed of himself, so I asked him if he was saying that the coffee was bad. I said in a normal tone, but he took it as I was yelling at him. He got angry with me and told me that I was always disobedient (but he was always the one to start the fight). I asked him to stop yelling, but he deliberately yelled at me, just like he always yelled at Fedorja at home. This was so frustrating to me that I cried over my coffee. Fedorja felt sorry for me and tried to explain that she had not yelled at me, that she had not meant to fight with me, and that I was wrestling with myself. I asked him to stop talking to me until he calmed down and read his book. Suddenly, Faja asked, "Why don't you eat butter? Faja asked. This question was an attempt to find a way to make up, to find a way to reconcile. Of course, I never showed the slightest sign of grumpiness, and when he pulled me toward him and said, "It's so hard after a bad fight with you," I stepped toward him and made it up to him. I was so glad that he had such a kind heart. Even when he gets angry for a while, he immediately reflects and tries to make up with me. Recently, he has become better in this respect than before. In other words, he used to wait for me to ask for reconciliation, but now he is willing to do it himself. Whenever he gets angry, he waits to see which of us will be the first to make peace, and he is never the first to break. I would always think that I would make the other party break first, and then I would tolerate it and make peace with them. If you do this all the time, you will not be able to make a living at all.

Kawade Shobo Shinsha, Anna Dostoevskaya,Translated by Toyofusa Kinoshita'TheMrs. Dostoevsky, The Diary of Anna.p383

I love this episode between the two of them. Dostoevsky, a great writer, is just a husband who can't help himself at home. And we can see how Dostoevsky, who used to be difficult and stubborn, becomes softer and softer through his marriage with Anna. Having seen Baden-Baden from hell, I can't help but smile at the sight of this amicable relationship.

Dostoevsky proudly grinding coffee

This is a scene from his stay in Geneva. It is an exchange between Dostoevsky and his wife, Anna, who had just returned home after shopping.

I had bought the coffee and he began to grind it. This is now his job, and he is always happy to grind coffee. It always amuses me to see him grinding coffee so earnestly, as if he were doing an important job. Throughout the day, he was very jovial, always laughing and making me laugh again.

Kawade Shobo Shinsha, Anna Dostoevskaya,Translated by Toyofusa Kinoshita'TheMrs. Dostoevsky, The Diary of Anna.P385

As a coffee lover, this episode was particularly poignant for me.

Dostoevsky is seriously grinding his coffee. This is indeed laughable.

This episode is especially valuable because it gives us a glimpse into the daily lives of Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky. Thank you, Mrs. Anna, for keeping this story in your diary! It has made me love Dostoevsky even more!

Anya, we've become one, haven't we?

Here is another excerpt from the Diary. Mrs. Anna was not feeling well and was lying at home.

When I went to sleep, he wrapped me up in his arms, which he seems very happy to do. He seems to take great pleasure in doing this. He takes very good care of me. Seeing him love me so much makes me love him even more. (omitted).

I can't live without you. Anya, we have become one, haven't we? You can't cut us apart with a knife. Sometimes we want to be apart, but when we do, we can't live without each other," he said. After that, when we were already in bed, he said, "For a man like you, I am very grateful. He said, "It is for people like you that Christ came. I say this not out of love for you, but because I know you. I say this not out of love for you, but because I know you. When Sonya is born, there will be two angels here. I can imagine you and Sonya together. What a good sight! After that, he asked me to take good care of my Sonya, my daughter, and he called me his mother. I could see that Féja was growing to love me more and more deeply as time went by, and I was sure that his love for me would deepen even more when the baby was born. Oh, I am so happy! I am happier than I ever thought I would be. It seems to be quite common for husbands and wives to grow cold toward each other after marriage, as is often the case with other people. In our case, maybe God is helping us to avoid such a situation, and maybe our love will grow stronger the further we go. If I can decorate his life even a little, I am happy. He had so little joy in his life, so I want to make his life better at least in the end. As long as he loves me, I will not betray him. On the contrary, even if his love for me cools down, I will never be able to change.

Kawade Shobo Shinsha, Anna Dostoevskaya,Translated by Toyofusa Kinoshita'TheMrs. Dostoevsky, The Diary of Anna.P398-399

They had survived the hell of Baden-Baden. Their relationship has clearly changed. It is clearly different from that of Mr. and Mrs. Dostoevsky at the beginning of their departure. Having endured days of hardship, a strong bond has developed between the two of them. This is expressed in Dostoevsky's words.

And the lastI want him to have a good end, because he had so little joy in his life.The words of Anna's wife, "I am so happy to see you," are very tearful. In fact, Mrs. Anna supported Dostoevsky without exception and brought him a happy last years of life.

be unbroken

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