Sorry everyone. selie just gave me an excuse to talk about something I really love and talk I did until it was longer than comment-length. So sensible people, ignore my ramblings. For the rest...there aren't bleak Russian novels, but the greats almost always have that optimism. References not cited, nor are some claims backed up, but I ain't a humanities major anymore so I don't care XDXDXD

  “it is not the writer’s job to solve such problems as the existence of God, pessimism, etc .”     “Witness, Don’t Judge”   Letter to Alexei Suvorin, Sumy, May 30, 1888   In my opinion...From His Own Letters and Work. Edited and introduced by Piero Brunello and Lena Lencek; translated from the Russian and Italian by Lena Len c ek. 1st Da Capo Press edition, 2008.