Dale Quarrington

The Dostoevsky Critique (Pt. 1)

The point of this first critique is to correct the idea that a publisher offered to pay off Dostoevsky’s debts if the writer was able to produce a novel in just one month. Notably, the controversy lies around the offer made and accepted for the Gambler.

However, before one is able to critique this misconception, one must first understand the circumstances behind it. First, the name of the publisher must be cited, for the future purpose of referencing back to him later on. The name of the publisher was Stellovsky. Second, the reasons behind why Dostoevsky would enter into such a cut-throat contract should be explained.

Dostoevsky entered into the contract because he was in desperate need of money. He had taken up the debts of his brother, Mikhail, who had passed away in 1864. Also, Dostoevsky was giving his in-laws a monthly allowance for living expenses. So, not only did he take up a responsibility he did not have to, in his brother’s debts, but he went one step further, by financially taking care of them in their day-to-day living expenses. Thus, Dostoevsky was transferring his brother’s debts over to himself. Stellovsky, taking advantage of Dostoevsky’s desperate situation, bought up a portion of his debt’s promissory notes to his creditors, which then allowed Stellovsky to hold these debts over Dostoevsky’s head. So in fact, the 3,000 rubles that Stellovsky paid Dostoevsky, was more of a transfer payment out of his partial debts, then it was a payment of salary for the services rendered by Dostoevsky, for The Gambler. It was enough to ward off his most pressing of financial concerns, for the time being.

The first part of the critique will focus on the idea that all of Dostoevsky’s debts were paid off, when in fact, it was only a fixed amount of money, 3,000 rubles that was paid out to Dostoevsky. Stellovsky was very well known in the publishing community for being a hard bargainer with his clients. Initially, Stellovsky offered Dostoevsky (to which, Stellovsky approached Dostoevsky; and not vice versa), with the sum of 2,000 rubles, in return for the right to publish a single edition of his works, without any royalties returning to Dostoevsky. Stellovsky knew that Dostoevsky was in financial straits, and was trying to take advantage of him, to further his own ends, as a businessman. However, Dostoevsky initially refused Stellovsky’s offer. But driven back by utter necessity, the offer was further revised, to make the offer that much more severe in Dostoevsky favour, and that much more favourable for Stellovsky’s. The new deal stipulated that Stellovsky would advance 3,000 rubles, to Dostoevsky, for the right to publish a single edition of Dostoevsky’s complete works.

Also, Dostoevsky would have to agree to produce a new novel, 10 printed pages in length (or 160 pages in a printed text), on top of the publication of his complete works; which was to be completed by November 1, 1866. And in case of failure in the completion, of a new novel, Stellovsky would receive the right to publish all of Dostoevsky’s future works, without compensation to the author for a period of 9 years. This shows that Dostoevsky had the fortitude to see that if he was going to work as hard as he was going to, that he wanted that much more of his debt knocked off. And that his debt didn’t summarily come to 3,000 roubles. If it did, he would have asked for that much from the start, and not have begun at 2,000 roubles. Thus, it was not all of his debts, which were in excess of 3,000 rubles, but rather, the sum of 3,000; with the severest of stipulations that Dostoevsky accepted. These were the conditions under which Dostoevsky accepted.

This section will focus on the idea that Dostoevsky only had a month to deliver a new novel to Stellovskyl. This is yet another misconception. That while Dostoevsky did write it in a month, he initially had more time to complete it. But because of other obligations; namely, Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky was forced to write both The Gambler and Crime and Punishment, at the same time. He had squandered away the months before it, thus, leaving him with only one month to write it. He confides in Anna Korvin-Krukovshaya, his future wife, in late June that he will have to work both morning and night to complete both of his novels, to fulfil each of his obligations:

To do an unheard of an eccentric thing: write 30 signatures [a signature consisted of sixteen pages in 4 months of two different novels, one in the morning and the other in the evening, and to finish on schedule.
- Miraculous Years; Frank, p.57

This quote implies that he had 4 months to complete the two new novels on time. Which, by a simple counting of numbers, and months, would give the reader the month of July, and not October, which is commonly believed to be the case. This point is further supported by Milyukov, in the middle of July, cites his intention to work both morning and night, while resting up in August, for a big push in September:

I have worked very little, and in general - I am still only preparing to work - although in the past two weeks I have been very busy. But it’s possible to be even busier (twice as much), and I am saving my strength for the last period, that is, the month of August.
- Miraculous Years; Frank, p.57

This quote recognizes Dostoevsky’s need to begin the tangible creation of his new novel. While he has done a lot of notes behind it, it still had not come to fruition. But that in August, he intended to flush it out, and onto paper. Thus, as early as mid to late June, the contract had been agreed upon, and not October.

It is now hoped that the misconception around the one month that Dostoevsky had to produce a new novel are somewhat clarified. This hope is found in the two ideas above; namely, the conditions of the agreement behind The Gambler, and also, the length of time given for its completion.

Resources

Coulson, Jessie; The Gambler: Translator’s Introduction (New York, Penguin; 1966)

Dostoevsky, Anna. Reminiscences (New York, Liveright; 1975)

Frank, Joseph. Dostoevsky: The Miraculous Years, 1865-1871 (Princeton, Princeton University Press; 1995)