Set in mid 1800s Saint Petersburg, the nameless narrator of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s White Nights falls in love with a woman he barely knows. The short story delves into longing, and limerence. 

The protagonist stumbles upon a crying woman who is being harassed by a drunk man. After he saves her, they have a conversation, and after a while develop a deep friendship. The protagonist, however, longs for the woman romantically. The story is set in the first person, so the audience is exposed to the protagonist’s inner world. Here, the narrator’s deepest fantasies are shown. 

The story is about limerence. Limerence is a psychological state, an involuntary obsession with another person, who’s desire for you is uncertain. It’s fueled by subtle details that may be perceived as feelings of mutual desiring. In the book, the woman is over-friendly with the man. She laughs at his jokes and compliments him. This makes the man even more obsessed with her. 

What’s noteworthy about limerence, and any fantasy, is that it can be used as an escape from reality. In White Night, the protagonist suffers from loneliness and is rarely seen with anyone. Thus, this fantasy can be seen as a form of escapism so he does not have to deal with his unfavorable reality. 

White Nights delves into the phenomenon of limerence and longing. It’s first person perspective, matched with Dostoevsky’s extraordinary writing, makes for a great read and an even greater study of yearning. 

Image Credit: Winter Scene from the Stockholm Waterfront ,by: Alfred Bergström. (1899)