Poor People by Fyodor Dostoevsky

As both a masterpiece of Russian populist writing and a parody of the entire genre, "Poor People" is an early example of Dostoevsky's genius. Written as a series of letters, "Poor People" tells the tragic tale of a petty clerk and his impossible love for a young girl. Longing to help her and her family, he sells everything he can, but his kindness leads him only into more desperate poverty, and ultimately into debauchery. As a typical "man of the underground," he serves as the embodiment of the belief that happiness can only be achieved with riches.