This is a dark and profound psychological thriller intricately woven with complex philosophical concepts. The main theme is the protagonist’s quest to find out whether murder is acceptable if carried out in mankind’s best interest. Obsessively driven to test his theory, Raskolnikov plots to murder Alyona Ivanovna , a repulsive and vile pawnbroker that he views as not only having no redeeming qualities but a bringer of despair and hopelessness. The ensuing emotions plague Raskolnikov as he tries to deal with his actions and struggles to avoid being caught all the while haunted with delusions and hallucinations induced by his mental illness. Repeatedly questioned by a deceptively skilful detective drives the dialogue between the two characters to a harrowing climax. Brilliantly done and thoroughly enjoyable

I am a quick reader yet it took me well over two weeks to finish this book, probably because the college recently just opened and new semester follows with insurmountable amount of work etc. It was, nevertheless, well worth twenty or so days. I have recently found my love for Russian literature and after reading this book I can clearly see as to why that is. Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” is one of those books which can never be deprived of its vigour and vitality. It is a classic Russian tragedy tale yet the main character, Raskolnikov, is so complex and interesting a character that you will be attached to him until the very end. This novel will implore you to think of life and make you philosophize about the world and its meaning. It is unlikely for someone of my age (19) to make such a statement, but this book has changed my life. I do not merely mean it has changed my view of writing and literature (P.G. Wodehouse, Evelyn Waugh, Leo Tolstoy, Christopher Hitchens, Oscar Wilde and Salman Rushdie have already done that!) but this book has made me realize just how precious one’s life is. A novel of supreme importance! Too bad I was not introduced to it much earlier.

Raskolnikov is (or was?) a student, and murders two women. The rest of the novel is everyone around him living life as normal, while he sorts through his head what he did (I think). I’ve heard it called a “psychological thriller”. Well, psychological, sure; thriller, not so much… I skimmed through most of it, as there were only a very few, select parts that really caught my interest. I also have issues with multi-page paragraphs (as in, one paragraph being multiple pages long!). Through most of it, I was bored. It was close to the end of the book, I figured out (I think) that the same characters were referred to by different names (including the main character, I think?). That never helps anything.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a novel that takes a lot of dedication to read because of its length, but I found it to be a satisfying experience. The story isn’t like any other I have ever read. The beginning lures you into reading it, and after a while you want to know how the protagonist will change. What I found at first to be confusing were the some of the many different characters that were introduced not only had one name, but had a nickname too, which were used quite often. Constance Garnett does an excellent job in translating; I read the Wordsworth Classics edition. The most interesting part of this novel, I found, was when Raskolnikov, the protagonist, spoke to another about the article he had written some months prior. This argument seemed to be the heart of the novel. “[A]ll men are divided into “ordinary” and “extraordinary”. Ordinary men have to live in submission, have no right to transgress the law, because … they are ordinary. But extraordinary men have a right to commit any crime and to transgress the law in any way, just because they are extraordinary.” (221) By reading that, you can imagine what category Raskolnikov wanted to be a part of. The story commences with Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, also called Rodya, sneaking out of the room that he rents, because he is “hopelessly in debt to his landlady...” He used to be a student and he used to give lessons to earn some money, but he found himself out of work, and the only pair of clothes he had became too worn out to get any respectable employment. His mother had not sent him money recently because he had her own expenses to take care of. Without money, Raskolnikov has been starving himself, and as a result is suffering from delusions and strange thoughts, and becomes easily irritable. While sitting at a restaurant one day, he overhears a conversation between two men, speaking of a pawnbroker who is so stingy that she buys their items at too low of a price. One man says that he would be doing everyone a favour by killing that old lady, the pawnbroker. But he wouldn’t actually do it, he concluded. Raskolnikov, however, was very touched by the conversation of the pawnbroker who he has been going to for money. He starts imagining how he would like to kill her in his mind, and goes about trying to initiate his plans. How will Raskolnikov’s life take a sudden turn as a result of his plans? What punishment must he bear because of his crime? “[A]n extraordinary man has the right – that is not an official right, but an inner right – to decide in his own conscience to overstep . . . certain obstacles, and only in case it is essential for the practical fulfilment of his idea (sometimes, perhaps, of benefit to the whole of humanity). … if the discoveries of Kepler and Newton could not have been made known except by sacrificing the lives of one, a dozen, a hundred, or more men, Newton would have had the right, would indeed have been in duty bound . . . to eliminate the dozen or the hundred men for the sake of making discoveries his known to the whole of humanity. But it does not follow that Newton had a right to murder people right and left and to stead every day in the market. … [L]egislators and leaders of men, such as Lycurgus, Solon, Mahomet, Napoleon, and so on, were all without exception criminals, from the very fact that, making new law, they transgressed the ancient one, handed down from their ancestors and held sacred by the people, and they did not stop short at bloodshed either, if that bloodshed – often of innocent persons fighting bravely in defence of ancient law – were of use of their cause. It’s remarkable, in fact, that the majority, indeed, of these benefactors and leaders of humanity were guilty of terrible carnage.” (222) 4/5

I feel Alex Jennings is a very good reader. He often imitates the characters he reads as though he were several different people. This helps to imagine the personalities of the characters, lowers the general boredom of listening to an audio book, and creates much immersion. Jennings, with his slight English accent, is crystal clear in his voice. He sounds above the academic and more an intellectual--an aristocrat--who carries the story, and there is no problem in the immersion. He is interesting and perfectly-paced. He reads the text rather happily, without any drone-type sound. He reads delightfully, as though he likes the text and is willing to play the parts. I'm happy with the reader and the audio book. I should add, I have very little experience with audio books. But, Dostoevsky's book is an academic and intellectual classic, and the reading is good, very good.

I suspect many will be turned off reading this, as it can be slow to start and isn't an easy read at times. But if you do decide to read this, please see it completely through, as it *will* be rich and rewarding. For me, this was my gateway into literature. I hadn't read many books since high school, which I had left 5 years prior, but on a whim borrowed a copy of this from my boss. I struggled through the first 200 pages or so, but once past them, I simply was unable to put the book down. Dostoevsky had an ability to write extremely deep characters, and you get sucked into their life and the events that unfold. You will laugh and cry with them, and by the end of the book you will feel like they are old friends. It really is incredible. The story itself offers a lot.; psychology, suspense and struggle. Many elements are at play, and there are countless memorable moments and people to experience in this book. I only hope others get as much from reading this as I did.

I have a copy from 1972, an early translation to Romanian and the read was absolutely captivating. Every word is significant, almost as if the author calculated how everything fell into place. I also read a recent translation but was nowhere close to the first copy. The vocabulary was very different back then.

In Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky examines the classic struggle of good vs. evil. What makes this novel unique is that Dostoyevsky's preoccupation with the dualities of the human soul are consistently merging and splintering, causing the internal battle of the two forces within the soul of one character, Raskolnikov. The notion that any human being can fall prey to desperation, and therefore, commit a characteristically or uncharacteristically desperate act is compelling. Whether readers can find compassion for Raskolnikov or view him as nothing but despicable, we are forced, if only for a moment, to consider empathizing with Raskolnikov. As a result, this story is one that leaves us to question our own prejudices and levels of self-awareness. Dostoyevsky's characters and plot are always superbly developed, as is the case in this novel, and the various settings in the story come alive with - at many times in the book - unnervingly vivid description. Crime and Punishment is the first Dostoyevsky work that one should ever read; it will continue to produce addicts of Dostoyevsky's brilliant works, and of classic Russian literature in general.

Raskolnikov is very poor, intelligent and has a high opinion of himself. He sells his father's old belonging, just to get a meal. Raskolnikov is convinced that by killing a person, he will cure everything he is feeling. He commits another murder, for the feeling he had was so remarkable he had to do it again. And for every person he killed, he has a reason why he did it. In jail, he meets Sonya. Sonya is an eighteen year old, and was forced into prostitution to support her two siblings and an alcoholic father. It’s a book full of psychology and exstistentialism. Crime and Punishment is a world wide read nineteenth century Russian novel, translated into many different languages. This book has a lot of similarities to the plays: Hamlet and Macbeth by William Shakespeare.

This book was an incredible read. The only problem is it is so SLOW. As I was reading my mind wandered and I found it difficult to keep my mind on the book. If you haven't read anything by Dostoevsky, read The Idiot first.