TMoP, Chap 1, Page 1, Paragraph 1

[Bekah]

On Sep 18, 2008, at 4:33 AM, Richard Ryan wrote:

> "October, 1869.  A droshky passes slowly down a street in the  
> Haymarket district of St Petersburg.

These opening lines certainly set forth an exact time and place.

Earlier in the 1860s, and this is very relevant to the book, a  
movement called Nihilism developed in Russia.  More later I'm sure,   
but if you want it now:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Russia#Nihilism

And back to the opening:

Haymarket Square:
http://authoringexistence.blogspot.com/2007/03/pictures-of-nietzsche- 
dostoyevsky-and.html

Dostoevsky in St. Petersburg - (he lived for awhile in the aptly  
named Haymarket area) -  some pretty interesting stuff at:
  http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2008/01/10/ 
AR2008011002874.html

Dostoevsky,  the historical person,  was living with his step-son  
from first marriage,  his second wife and their newborn daughter  in  
Dresden (in October) and between novels.   The family was poor and  
Dostoevsky was addicted to gambling and abusing alcohol.   He had  
been having epileptic fits since the 1850s.  At this point  
Dostoevsky  condemned the Socialist and Nihilist movements which were  
rather popular at the time.  (He had been quite different back in the  
1840s.)

Bekah
Trying not to go far from the opening lines and the cover blurb.