Marcelo Nogueira, a Brazilian literary influencer who doesn’t usually read classic literature, was drawn in by a vibrant cover of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The White Nights. He is not alone. Thanks to the popularity of TikTok, this 19th-century Russian novel has unexpectedly become a hit among Generation Z. The story follows a solitary dreamer in Saint Petersburg who falls in love with a young woman during a brief encounter. What was once a lesser-known work by Dostoevsky has now become one of Brazil’s best-selling books. According to Editora 34, the Brazilian publisher, sales of The White Nights jumped by 463% in 2025, and the trend continues into 2026. Similar success has been seen in the United Kingdom and Spain, where the book has also become a bestseller. TikTok users are connecting with the novel because it portrays a "solitary dreamer," a character many young people today see in themselves, explains Marcelo Nogueira. In this early work by Dostoevsky, the protagonist experiences four nights and a morning of intense emotion, stepping briefly out of his introspective world to face reality. The novel’s famous closing line—“My God! A whole minute of happiness! Isn’t that enough for an entire life?”—has become a popular quote on social media. On BookTok, a community of book lovers on TikTok, thousands of comments highlight how Dostoevsky’s story, written nearly 180 years ago, still resonates deeply with modern readers. Young readers are drawn to The White Nights for its brevity and emotional depth. “It knocks you down: it's real life, written in a poetic way,” says one TikTok user. Others admit to feeling a connection with the protagonist, even if it feels a bit unsettling. Paloma Lima, a Russian literature enthusiast and influencer, notes that many young people on TikTok discovered her YouTube channel after reading The White Nights. “It makes sense,” she says, “because it’s short and intense.” In Russia, the novel’s sudden popularity has surprised some, with writer Ekaterina Kvitko noting that while it has stirred interest in the West, it hasn’t sparked the same enthusiasm among Russian youth. She suggests that the story’s themes of loneliness and seeking love may resonate more with Western teenagers. The success of The White Nights has also boosted interest in other Dostoevsky classics, such as Crime and Punishment, which is much longer and more complex. At Editora 34, sales of this novel have increased by 53% in the first seven months of the year. Marcelo Nogueira believes that social media platforms like TikTok are helping bring people back to books by highlighting the aesthetic appeal of physical copies. A colorful edition of The White Nights with a romantic illustration has become so popular that it is now out of stock in several Rio de Janeiro bookstores. While researchers like Cecilia Rosas welcome the renewed interest in classics, she cautions against confusing literary value with the promotional style often seen on social media.