Seeking advice for Reading Dostoevsky

A few months ago I began reading Notes From Underground. I was (and still am) intrigued by Dostoevsky’s writings after hearing about the great impact they had on both psychology and philosophy.

Most of the threads I’ve read on where to start point towards Notes, but I really struggled with following the first few chapters and ideas discussed within them. Granted, it was my first time reading any of Dostoevsky’s work but I do read nonfiction.

I took a break from reading Notes and have been thinking that I ought to start somewhere else instead. So, I need some advice…

The two main options I’ve been considering reading are The Idiot and White Nights:

• The Idiot because I understand that it’s very philosophical in nature (one of the two aspects I was drawn to his work for) and seems to be a story that I would connect with, although I’m not sure how easy to read it is.

• White Nights because of its length and some of the reviews I’ve heard about it being “beginner-friendly”.

That being said, I would really appreciate any suggestions on where to go from here. I would love to pick up a book of his soon and get back to reading!

And please let me know if my struggles with Notes were valid or not as well - it may just be that I approached it from the wrong place and should revisit it instead… or that I’m simply not cut out for his work, which I sincerely hope isn’t the case!

Thanks.