Russian Novels for a Louisiana Eastern Orthodox?

In my experience, Austen fans love her because of the detailed character portraits, the well-turned phrase, subtle plot development. etc.

Russian novels tend to be novels of ideas. The dialogue is often abrupt and slightly off balance—when Russian characters are angry, the world is black; when they are happy, they are positively giddy. It’s as if they are all manic depressives. People read Russian novels—at least most of them—for the ideas represented in characters’ actions, the social commentary, the existential crises. This is all speaking very generally, of course. When I put it like this, there are a number of objections that pop into my head, but voila.