"My God, a moment of bliss. Why, isn’t that enough for a whole lifetime?” asks the Dreamer, the unnamed protagonist of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s ‘White Nights’. A question for a lifetime, isn’t it?
It captures something deeply familiar in our times — loneliness, and those fleeting moments of happiness that arrive so unexpectedly they can make or break our worlds.
Perhaps that is what draws young readers to the lonely, ‘loathsome’ and loveless world of the great Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky.
They are discovering a different side of Dostoevsky. Not as the highbrow, philosophical author of ‘Crime and Punishment’, which delves into the moral turmoil of a man after committing a crime, or ‘The Brothers Karamazov’, a murder mystery and courtroom drama that examines Russian society and spiritual crisis, or ‘The Idiot’, which explores innocence, compassion and moral purity in a corrupt world.
For many young readers, Dostoevsky is a romantic.
“You think you know love, and then you read White Nights.” This viral comment captures the essence of an amusing literary movement fuelled by social media.
For the past two years, Bookstagram and BookTok have been awash with this phrase, drawing readers to a short story of about 90 pages by the Russian writer.
In Keralam, too, the trend is hard to miss. Bookstores prominently display ‘White Nights’ in their bestseller sections. Its appeal is enhanced by its modest length and minimalist yet beautiful cover.
Angel Zackaria, who picked up the book after coming across post after post about it on Instagram, believes its simplicity is part of what makes it so appealing.
“I see a bit of the Dreamer in me,” she says with a smile, referring to the story’s unnamed protagonist.
It may seem surprising that a story written nearly 180 years ago by a writer living in St. Petersburg should resonate so strongly with young readers today.
“In that crowded city, he is lonely and searching for what we are all looking for. Love and connection,” Angel adds.
“Though short, the book is not necessarily a light read. The story is very nuanced. You need to take your time with it.”
Archana Gopinath, founder of The Reading Room in Thiruvananthapuram, recalls being perplexed when book clubs began choosing ‘White Nights’ for their monthly reads.
“I would not call it an obscure work, but for young readers in Keralam, it was certainly an unusual choice,” she says.
Archana credits social media for bringing the book into the spotlight. “The theme resonates with today’s youth, many of whom find connections, fleetingly, through social media,” she says.
‘White Nights’ tells the story of a lonely young man who meets a kind, innocent woman by chance and falls in love with her.
“But a big part of this love is his imagination. In this age of speed dating and online dating sites, youngsters are very familiar with falling in love with the potential of someone rather than that person,” says Archana.
“Most of these little trysts begin and end online. It is that collective loneliness that they relate to in ‘White Nights.”
The book’s aesthetic appeal also plays a part, Archana notes. “Bookstagram is filled with cafe posts featuring White Nights — aesthetically pleasing photos paired with quotes from the book,” she smiles.
However, Archana is sceptical that the surge in interest will lead to a broader interest in Dostoevsky’s other works or Russian literature in general. “Trends are fleeting by nature,” she says.
Abdul Latheef, who runs Blossom Bookfair in Kochi, is more optimistic. “The trend has sustained for over a year. ‘White Nights’ is now a best-seller,” he says.
He points to several reasons for its popularity. For one, Dostoevsky’s works are now in the public domain. “That means publishers across the world are releasing his books year-round. Notes from Underground, The Idiot, The Gambler — all are now available in bookstores,” he says.
The availability of multiple editions has also made these books more affordable. “A copy of ‘White Nights’ costs just around `150. That is affordable for young readers between 15 and 30,” he says.
“Moreover, it is shorter and more accessible than Dostoevsky’s major novels, which can be daunting in both length and subject matter.”
Then there is the question of relatability. After all, the yearners of today are not so different from the lonely souls more than a century ago.
“Until about five years ago, self-help books were the most popular genre. Now that has changed. Literature of all kinds is being picked up and read. Huge thanks to social media,” he says.
The trend, according to Abdul, does not stop with ‘White Nights’. “Some come back for more classics. They pick up Dostoevsky, Kafka, and Japanese fiction. I never thought I would see days when college students would come asking for Kafka again,” he says.
“In Malayalam, M Mukundan’s Orikkal has attracted young readers, thanks to Bookstagram.”
The signs are unmistakable, says DC Books deputy editor Ramadas Rajan. “Social media is becoming a gateway for youngsters to discover the past,” he notes.
“Young readers, particularly Gen Z, are slowly discovering classic literature. We saw something similar with M P Narayana Pillai’s ‘Parinamam’. The film ‘Eko’ led many to discover the novel, whose central character is a dog.”
In Dostoevsky’s case, Ramadas too believes the trend is unlikely to fade any time soon. In fact, the book’s popularity has prompted DC Books to bring out a Malayalam translation of ‘White Nights’.
“Award-winning writer V Shinilal is translating the work,” he says. “Sometimes all it takes is a cerebral spark to propel a literary movement.”