"The consciousness of life is higher than life, the knowledge of the laws of happiness is higher than happiness—that is what one must contend against."

The narrator walks the streets of St. Petersburg at night, contemplating how ridiculous his life is. His conviction that 'nothing in the world matters' had led him months before to purchase a gun with the intent of committing suicide. Catching sight of a lone star in the gloomy sky, he firmly resolves that this will be the night he does it. However, a chance encounter with a distressed little girl in the street derails his drastic plans.

'The Dream of a Ridiculous Man' is a short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) originally published in his own monthly journal, 'A Writer's Diary,' in 1877. Written late in the author's career, the short story touches upon many of the themes and concerns of his major novels. This audiobook version uses the translation from the Russian by Constance Garnett (1861-1946)