What happens when you take someone that embodies Christ's charge to 'become as little children' and stick them into a society of selfish and imperfect people? Prince Muishkin, known as the idiot, is Dostoevsky's tragic answer to this question and now one of my favorite literary characters. This book is a hard one to rate, I think anyone could make a good argument for 3, 4, or 5 stars. While part 1 is among the best things I've ever read, the rest of the book can get slow. At no point though does it stop asking big questions and challenging the reader. Hilarious at times and heartbreaking at others. Especially loved the characters talking about how technology and nihilism in the 1800s was ruining society; it makes me not worry so much about similar thoughts.