Under Western Eyes

Under Western Eyes is a novel by Joseph Conrad. The novel takes place in St. Petersburg Russia and Geneva Switzerland and is viewed as Conrad's response to the themes explored in Crime and Punishment; Conrad being reputed to have detested Dostoevsky. It is also some say Conrad's response to his own early life; his father was a famous revolutionary imprisoned by the Russians but instead of following in his father's footsteps at the age of sixteen Conrad left his native land forever. Indeed while writing Under Western Eyes Conrad suffered a weeks-long breakdown during which he conversed with the novel's characters in Polish.This novel is considered to be one of Conrad's major works and is close in subject matter to The Secret Agent. It is full of cynicism and conflict about the historical failures of revolutionary movements and ideals. Conrad remarks in this book as well as others on the irrationality of life the opacity of character and the unfairness with which suffering is inflicted upon the innocent and poor and the careless disregard for fellow life with whom we share existence. (wikipedia.org)