Need Advice on Starting Dostoevsky's books

Hi everyone,

I’m a book lover who usually reads romance, sometimes thriller, and rarely fantasy. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to read since September because I’ve been busy with school.

One of my goals for this year is to start reading Dostoevsky’s books. I know it’s a huge jump in terms of complexity, not only because his writing is dense but also because I’ll be reading in English, which isn’t my first language. I’ve heard Dostoevsky uses a lot of complicated words and deep philosophical themes, so I’m worried it might be overwhelming.

My first language is Arabic, but I never read in Arabic. Now, I’m stuck trying to decide:

• Should I read Dostoevsky in English and struggle through it? It might help me improve my English, but I’m worried I’ll miss out on the depth of his work.
• Should I read his books in Arabic? It might make the experience smoother, but it feels weird since I’m not used to reading in my native language.

I’d love to hear your advice. If you’ve read Dostoevsky, where do you recommend starting? And if you’ve faced similar challenges (reading a complex author in a third language), how did you approach it?

Thanks in advance for your help!