Фёдор Достоевский Бедные люди

"Poor people" - the first novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, which he began in 1844, and after numerous alterations finished in May 1845. Written by type epistolary novel.
Work on the novel began in January 1844, shortly after the transfer of "Eugenie Grandet" Balzac. Work continued throughout the spring and summer of 1844. All this time his plan did not devote any author. Finally, in a letter to his brother dated September 30, Dostoevsky decided to tell something to work, and expressed his intention to soon pass the finishing version of criticism, and received by October 14, the answer to publish a novel in the "Notes of the Fatherland". [1]

However, to complete the novel by October fails. The first rough draft was ready by November, but in December was radically redesigned. In February - March 1845 the writer makes changes again, this version completely rewrites and again decides to fix the editor. Only 4 May 1845 the novel was finally finished.

Dmitry Grigorovich, who lived from the end of September 1844 at the same apartment with Dostoevsky, so says about his work on the "poor people":

"Dostoevsky <...> would sit whole days and part of the night at his desk. He did not say a word that says; my questions he answered reluctantly and laconically; knowing that it is closed, I stopped asking. "[2]

Cover Sheet "Petersburg Collection" (1846), which was first published novel, "Poor people"
After graduating in late May, finishing the final version of the correspondence, Dostoevsky "in one sitting, and almost without stopping," [2] reads romance Grigorovich. Anyone shocked, immediately sent the manuscript to Nikolai Nekrasov. Nekrasov was annoyed though late visit, but agreed to read at least ten pages. Not looking for a night they re-read the entire novel, and at four o'clock in the morning returned to Dostoevsky that under the fresh impression from reading his report about the delighted. On the morning of the same day Nekrasov lucky manuscript Lopatin's house, where it passes Vissarion Belinsky, saying: "The new Gogol came!". Critics greeted this statement with a grain of salt, but in the evening of the same day, he asks about Nekrasov early meeting with the author. Meet the next day with Dostoevsky personally Belinsky warmly welcomed and praised his work. [3] Dostoevsky believed all my life that this meeting was a turning point for him, the writer has strengthened in the faith in yourself, in your talent and capabilities [4].

In the morning before exploring, recommending the "poor people" Pavel Annenkov Belinsky described the work of "budding talent":

"... The novel reveals the secrets of life and such characters in Russia, which before he never dreamed anyone <...>. This is the first attempt we have social novel, and made in such a way as artists usually do, that is, without knowing it themselves, they go out. "[5]
Nekrasov had decided to publish the novel in his new anthology, censorship is asked to take Alexander Nikitenko. January 12, 1846 "The St. Petersburg Collection" Nekrasov received permission to censor January 21 and has already been published. [6]

Special edition of the novel published in 1847. For this edition, the author has reduced a little work and made some stylistic changes.

Minor stylistic changes have been made also in 1860 and 1865 in the preparation of Dostoevsky's first two collections of his writings