really really really good. it's just so dostoevsky. using dostoevsky as a positive adjective here. not many people can write and analyse a character the way he does it. alexei is such an intriguing protagonist and narrator, because (like many other dostoevsky characters) he's a complicated person being swayed by societal phenomena and pressures, as well as his own passions and emotions. great exploration of themes such as human psychology, desire, passion, love, wealth, and relationships. the writing is just wonderful, because of course it is.