With their penetrating psychological insight & their emphasis on human dignity respect & forgiveness Dostoyevskys early short stories contain the seeds of the themes that came to his major novels. Poor Folk" the authors first great literary triumph is the story of a tragic relationship between an impoverished copy clerk & a young seamstress told through their passionate letters to each other. In " The Landlady" Dostoyevsky portrays a dreamer hero who is captivated by a curious couple & becomes their lodger. Mr. Prokharchin inspired by a true story is a sly comedy centring on an eccentric miser & Polzunkov is a powerful character sketch which in common with the other tales in this volume questions the very nature of existence."