Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Fyodor Dostoevsky — Background and Themes

Structure and Scope of the Index

The index is organized as a simple list of titles, each preceded by a double hash mark (##) that links to a table of contents for that volume. The contents are drawn from the Project Gutenberg catalog, and the list includes both well-known novels and shorter works such as White Nights and Other Stories and Uncle's Dream; Permanent Husband. Notably, the index also includes Stavrogin's Confession; The Life of a Great Sinner and The Grand Inquisitor, which are excerpts or related texts. The editor has not imposed a thematic or chronological order beyond the sequence of the catalog; the list appears to follow the order in which the works were added to the Project Gutenberg collection.

Editorial Choices and Paratextual Elements

David Widger's editorial role is limited to compilation and formatting. The index does not include introductions, annotations, or critical commentary. Each entry preserves the original translator's name and the chapter divisions as they appear in the source editions. For example, Poor Folk is presented as a series of dated letters, with entries like “April 8th” and “September 30th” listed sequentially. Crime and Punishment includes a translator’s preface by Constance Garnett and is divided into parts and chapters, with an epilogue. The index thus reflects the paratextual structure of the original print editions, including the presence of a translator’s preface for Crime and Punishment and the division of The Possessed into parts with chapter titles such as “Prince Harry. Matchmaking” and “The Subtle Serpent.”

The License as a Structural Component

A substantial portion of the index is devoted to the full Project Gutenberg License, which occupies the majority of the text. This license explains the terms under which the eBooks may be used, including redistribution, modification, and commercial use, subject to trademark restrictions. The license also provides information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and donation procedures. For the reader, this means that the index functions not only as a navigational tool but also as a legal document that governs the use of the listed works. The inclusion of the license text is consistent with Project Gutenberg's practice of attaching the license to every eBook, ensuring that users are aware of their rights and obligations.

Readers using this index should note that it is a reference tool, not a critical edition. The listed works are available in full on the Project Gutenberg website, and the index provides direct links to each text. For those interested in Dostoevsky's development as a writer, comparing the chapter structures of early and late novels may offer insights into his evolving narrative techniques. The index also highlights the range of translators who have rendered Dostoevsky into English, from Constance Garnett to C. J. Hogarth and Eva Martin.

Leafing through that Index of Dostoevsky, I paused at the careful ordering of chapters, a tidy grid over such turbulent souls, and found myself thinking of a quiet afternoon spent with A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs Comprising French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and Danish, with English Translations and a General Index — Story, Setting & Ideas. Both felt like houses built to hold wild things, proverbs and passions, each boxed neatly for later comfort.