19th Century Russian Literature: How well read are you?

Books continue to roll out on sheets of cheap paper from dirty publishing houses. These books are considered great if their pages morph into money. Fair enough, since books worth reading were usually in the same category, published as serial installments over time in order to generate readers. The difference between great novels of the past and today is theme. Adult themes today, things that grown-ups would appreciate(?), seem to be dark. When looking for truly dark literature, seek out a book written in between 1900-1950 in Germany. Today themes are composed of homosexuality, rape, dishonesty, abuse and murder.
Old books deal with the same themes except they also deal with the opposite. The focus falls on what is admirable rather than terrible. Take the hero from The Idiot, (Dostoyevsky) Muishkin. He is not perfect yet his purpose is to show readers what a truly decent man would deal with daily in modern society.

One passage that I enjoy is about a third of the way through. The Prince is arguing with himself about one of his "Friends" Rogojin. Rogojin is after the same woman, Nastasia, but for more impure reasons. The Prince argues that Rogojin is not only driven blindly by passion, but he does indeed have a human heart. His heart allows him to love Nastasia as a sister, confidant or lover but is often eclipsed by his lust for money, status and power in society.
The Prince is walking around St. Petersburg thinking of Rogojin and recalling a conversation. Rogojin had said to the Prince, "Your Pity is greater than my Love." The Prince then proceeds to internally argue this point and points out that Rogojin possesses pity or true Christian love for the girl. The Prince than thinks this:

"He remembered how he had suffered that first day when he thought he observed in her the symptoms of madness. He had almost fallen into despair. How could he have lost his hold on her when she ran away from him to Rogojin? He ought to have run after her himself, rather than wait for news as he had done...Rogojin attributes her strangeness to other causes, to passion! What insane jealousy!"

This passage is what I am trying to explain. The depth of the character, his inner struggle and outer complications shine as he contemplates his "friend's" feelings and thoughts. Then he kicks himself for not securing the beautiful Nastasia and saving her from the unbridled danger she pledged herself to. Finally, the passage completes its thought and pities Rogojin, the very man who, in a few pages, attempts to kill the Prince. What a submarine dive of human emotion! The rest of the book is fantastic and culminates in a bittersweet ending that encouraged me to think of my relationships.
Now every time I catch myself thinking frustrated thoughts about people I know I try to complete my thought as the Prince would, with empathy. I also realize I do it for selfish reasons. I want the Karma, the payment in the ever after, the respect and admiration of peers and justification for my judgemental thoughts. I only hope that with practice the selfishness will dissolve and leave me a genuinely decent man. Sometimes I am an Idiot.