What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedAn Honest Thief
Fyodor Dostoevsky · Book · 2019
If you loved An Honest Thief, start with Bicycle Thieves (1948) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to An Honest Thief across media.
You were drawn to the way An Honest Thief unearths the complex moral contradictions hiding behind acts of desperate theft.
Films on the same thread
Bicycle Thieves
Film · 1948
Shares a thread with An Honest Thief: Poverty.
Just as An Honest Thief examines the crushing weight of poverty, this film captures the raw desperation of a man whose livelihood is stolen, forcing him into moral compromise.
Stray Dog
Akira Kurosawa · Film · 1949
Explores: Moral decay, Post-war Japan, Poverty and crime.
Much like the internal struggle found in An Honest Thief, this narrative explores the thin line between law enforcement and the criminal desperation born from a fractured society.
The Shawshank Redemption
Frank Darabont · Film · 1994
Shares a thread with An Honest Thief: redemption.
If the redemptive arc of An Honest Thief resonated with you, this story offers a profound look at how individuals maintain their humanity while navigating institutional corruption and imprisonment.
GoodFellas
Martin Scorsese · Film · 1990
Explores: Organized Crime, Loyalty and Betrayal, American Dream Corruption.
While An Honest Thief focuses on the individual, this film expands on the theme of loyalty and betrayal within criminal circles, mirroring the complex motives of desperate thieves.
Series on the same thread
Fargo
Noah Hawley · Series · 2014
Explores: Small Town Crime, Moral Ambiguity, Ordinary People in Extraordinary Circumstances.
This series echoes the moral ambiguity of An Honest Thief by placing ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances where their choices lead to unexpected and often violent consequences.
Your Friends & Neighbors
Jonathan Tropper · Series · 2025
Explores: wealth inequality, midlife crisis, moral decay.
Mirroring the psychological tension in An Honest Thief, this story explores how financial instability drives a man to theft, highlighting the thin veneer of respectability in society.
Sneaky Pete
David Shore · Series · 2015
Shares a thread with An Honest Thief: Redemption.
This show builds on the themes of identity and redemption seen in An Honest Thief, focusing on a man whose criminal history forces him to seek a new beginning.
The Night Of
Richard Price · Series · 2016
Explores: Wrongful Accusation, Criminal Justice System, Moral Ambiguity.
Like the somber tone of An Honest Thief, this thriller examines the devastating impact of a single accusation and the moral gray areas of the justice system.
Podcasts on the same thread
Unravelling Amy
Podcast
Explores: fraud, deception, identity theft.
If you appreciated the character study in An Honest Thief, this investigation into a prolific fraudster provides a chilling look at the psychology behind habitual, calculated deception.
Criminal
Podcast
Shares a thread with An Honest Thief: Redemption.
This podcast shares the empathetic curiosity of An Honest Thief, focusing on the complicated lives of people caught in the middle of wrongdoing, morality, and human frailty.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is An Honest Thief a full-length novel?
No, An Honest Thief is not a full-length novel. It is a short story written by Fyodor Dostoevsky that was originally published in 1848.
What is the premise of An Honest Thief?
An Honest Thief centers on a conversation between a narrator and his lodger, an aged soldier named Astafy Ivanovich. The story begins after a coat is stolen, prompting the two men to discuss their shared disdain for thieves while reflecting on the tragic life of Emelyan Ilyitch.
Who are the primary characters featured in An Honest Thief?
The primary characters in An Honest Thief include the narrator, his lodger Astafy Ivanovich, and the tragic drunkard Emelyan Ilyitch. The narrative is framed by the interaction between the narrator and the soldier regarding the theft of a coat.
When was An Honest Thief originally published?
An Honest Thief was originally published in 1848. It is a short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky that explores the complex relationship between the narrator and his lodger, Astafy Ivanovich, following an incident involving a stolen coat.