The book by the famous literary critic, Doctor of Philology Boris Sokolov reveals the secrets of Fyodor Dostoevsky's four greatest novels - “Crime and Punishment”, “The Idiot”, “Demons” and “The Brothers Karamazov”. All these books have been used more than once to make feature films and TV series, many of which have entered the treasury of world cinema; they have been successfully staged in many theaters around the world. What was the true origin of the Dostoevsky family? What was Dostoevsky's path to God and how was this reflected in his novels? How were the writer’s personal emotional experiences reflected in his works? Who were the prototypes of the revolutionary “demons”? What does Nikolai Stavrogin have in common with the epic hero? How did the notorious Marquis de Sade influence Dostoevsky? Which poem served as the source of the famous legend of the “Grand Inquisitor”? What should have been the fate of the heroes of The Brothers Karamazov in the second volume of the novel, which was never written by Fyodor Mikhailovich? The reader will find answers to these and other questions about the life and work of Dostoevsky in this book.