He receives a visit from Pavel Pavlovich Trusotsky, an old acquaintance who recently became a widower.

Trusotsky now wants to marry Nadia, the fifteen-year-old daughter of civil servant Zakhlyobinin.

The comical element is the character of Trusotsky, who seems to be predestined to repeat the role of the cuckold.

Alfred Bem calls it "one of the most complete works by Dostoevsky in regards to its composition and development.

"[3] American novelist Henry Miller considered it to be his favourite work by Dostoevsky.