 His style was deemed "prolix, repetitious and lacking in polish, balance, restraint and good taste".Saltykov-Shchedrin, Nikolay Mikhaylovsky and others criticised his puppet-like characters, most prominently in "The Idiot", "Demons" ("The Possessed", "The Devils") and "The Brothers Karamazov".These characters were compared to those of Hoffmann, an author whom Dostoevsky admired.