This profound explorer of human souls directs all his attention to people in the streets, theaters, and cafes. He tries to understand the psychology of each nation during this whirlwind journey that lasted about two months.

In 1862, Dostoevsky embarked on his first trip abroad. He traveled through Germany, reached Paris, stayed briefly, then moved to London for two weeks, returned to Paris for another two weeks, then left for Geneva via the city of Basel. In Geneva, he met his friend Nikolai Strakhov, and they visited Italy together. Strakhov later wrote, "Neither nature nor buildings nor works of art interested him; his attention was entirely devoted to people."

When Dostoevsky published these "Notes," he spoke little about his journey, using it instead to present his views on Russian history and its situation, and to satirize the countries he passed through, particularly Germany, England, and France. He begins with a quote from Fonvizin regarding France: "The French are devoid of reason, and if they had any, it would be their greatest misfortune." He mentions neither Italy nor Switzerland in good or bad light.

The novel "A Gentle Creature" is among Dostoevsky's most famous works, where he dives into the psyche of a man standing before his wife's corpse, reflecting on a harsh relationship that led his wife to suicide.