He got up and sat on the edge of the bedstead with his back to the window. “It’s better not to sleep at all,” he decided. There was a cold damp draught from the window, however; without getting up he drew the blanket over him and wrapped himself in it. He was not thinking of anything and did not want to think. But one image rose after another, incoherent scraps of thought without beginning or end passed through his mind. He sank into drowsiness. Perhaps the cold, or the dampness, or the dark, or the wind that howled under the window and tossed the trees roused a sort of persistent craving for the fantastic. He kept dwelling on images of flowers, he fancied a charming flower garden, a bright, warm, almost hot day, a holiday—Trinity day. A fine, sumptuous country cottage in the English taste overgrown with fragrant flowers, with flower beds going round the house; the porch, wreathed in climbers, was surrounded with beds of roses. A light, cool staircase, carpeted with rich rugs, was decorated with rare plants in china pots. He noticed particularly in the windows nosegays of tender, white, heavily fragrant narcissus bending over their bright, green, thick long stalks. He was reluctant to move away from them, but he went up the stairs and came into a large, high drawing-room and again everywhere—at the windows, the doors on to the balcony, and on the balcony itself—were flowers. The floors were strewn with freshly-cut fragrant hay, the windows were open, a fresh, cool, light air came into the room. The birds were chirruping under the window, and in the middle of the room, on a table covered with a white satin shroud, stood a coffin. The coffin was covered with white silk and edged with a thick white frill; wreaths of flowers surrounded it on all sides. Among the flowers lay a girl in a white muslin dress, with her arms crossed and pressed on her bosom, as though carved out of marble. But her loose fair hair was wet; there was a wreath of roses on her head. The stern and already rigid profile of her face looked as though chiselled of marble too, and the smile on her pale lips was full of an immense unchildish misery and sorrowful appeal. Svidrigaïlov knew that girl; there was no holy image, no burning candle beside the coffin; no sound of prayers: the girl had drowned herself. She was only fourteen, but her heart was broken. And she had destroyed herself, crushed by an insult that had appalled and amazed that childish soul, had smirched that angel purity with unmerited disgrace and torn from her a last scream of despair, unheeded and brutally disregarded, on a dark night in the cold and wet while the wind howled

The Blog

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  • 3 Ways to Write Your Multi-timeline Novel image of tag icon

    Guest post by Jillian Brenner Every reader enjoys multi-timeline novels, probably because they are ambitious storylines with energy and scope. And because most writers have expansive imaginations, they enjoy constructing these multi-piece storylines – but they’re super difficult to write. Have no fear, since I’m going to show you all the ins and outs of […]

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  • How to Write “Timeless” Fiction image of tag icon

    What exactly is ‘timeless’ fiction? In essence, it’s a piece of work that withstands the passing of years, even decades, maintaining its relevancy and charm. The danger is that your fiction won’t age well, and in 10 years certain references will make readers scratch their heads, either bewildered or feeling like your book is dated. […]

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    Guest post by Courtney Langdell You’re holding your published children’s book in your hands—so exciting!—but how do you get it from your hands to library and bookstore shelves? Here are our top nine tips for getting your children’s book into schools, libraries and bookstores: 1. Use a Wholesaler Libraries and bookstores won’t buy your book […]

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    Guest post by Said Shaiye Mary Karr, in THE ART OF MEMOIR, once wrote: “If you think writing a memoir can replace therapy, stop writing and go get therapy.” So I stopped writing and went to therapy. Then I realized therapy wouldn’t be enough. So how did I overcome years of serious addiction and begin […]

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  • Interview with Nathan Englander image of tag icon

    Back in 2007, I interviewed Nathan Englander about his book, “The Minister of Special Cases.” I published a highly condensed version of the interview inside the literary magazine, “The Southern California Review.” But I’ve never before released the audio, and after finding it in my archives, I realized this might be a fascinating listen for […]

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