Lived through the poverty, deprivation and crime associated with the Industrial Revolution, as observed from living in St Petersburg, five years of imprisonment in Siberia and extensive travelling in Europe, all of which provide the background to his novels. There were two powerful sources of Christian influence on him. Firstly: his intensive reading and reflections on the New Testament whilst in prison. Secondly: his recognition of the power of the spirituality of the Orthodox Church as a vehicle for personal and social transformation. His novels reveal first hand familiarity with the darker side of human behaviour, but also with the grounded prospect of harmony resourced by faith.

• http://www.kiosek.com/dostoevsky/links.html

• http://www.vex.net/~x/dostport/dost-chron.html

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/books/author/dostoyevsky/
• http://www.biblion.com/litweb/biogs/dostoyevsky_fyodor.html