From the author of "Crime and Punishment" comes this remarkable collection of short fiction. A selection often compelling tales, steeped in Dostoyevsky`s characteristic themes of spiritual torment and psychological struggle, evoke life in Czarist Russia. Featured stories include "The Dream of a Ridiculous Man," "Bobok," "An Honest Thief," "An Unpleasant Predicament," "Another Man`s Wife," "The Peasant Marey," "The Crocodile," "A Faint Heart," "A Christmas Tree and a Wedding," and the title work. Fyodor Dostoyevsky created powerful depictions of the human condition that led to significant developments in twentieth-century thought, including psychoanalysis and existentialism. His influence resonates in the works of latter-day authors such as Proust, Faulkner, Hemingway, and Kafka. This collection of his short stories offers thought-provoking glimpses into the Russian author`s moving portrayals of the conflict between flesh and spirit.