In addition to giving an account of Dostoyevsky’s eventful life, this biography studies his main novels and stories, and demonstrates their lasting accessibility and relevance. Judith Gunn describes the writer's struggles with deadlines, debt, epilepsy, gambling and imprisonment; examines the ways in which his themes and characters have been reinterpreted in television shows including Columbo and The X-Files; and explores the strong and enduring connection between his work and modern media.