Crime and Punishment

You can't argue with Russian pathos! I have to admit, the epilogue really is crap. Once we know that Raskolnikov is headed to Siberia for his double murder, is there really much more to tell? His dual personality is on the way to being resolved and he seems to have settled into a passionate, if somewhat kinky, relationship with Sonia. Still, its nice to hear encouraging things like best...more

You can't argue with Russian pathos! I have to admit, the epilogue really is crap. Once we know that Raskolnikov is headed to Siberia for his double murder, is there really much more to tell? His dual personality is on the way to being resolved and he seems to have settled into a passionate, if somewhat kinky, relationship with Sonia. Still, its nice to hear encouraging things like best friends and sisters getting married and proclamations of undying love. However, the epilogue takes away the risk of the story's central resolution. And for that, minus half a star. Yes, I just deducted points from Dostoevsky for pandering. Point being: it's a classic that has all the strength it ever did to inspire and challenge; a complex tale that doesn't need it's low brow epilogue to tie it all up neat and pretty with a bow.   hide

One of the great books i've ever read in my life. It is the story of a man that fights with himself. It refers to the battle between "evil and good"that is inside every man, between the body and the spirit. Love can raise us above ourselves, can make us better men. Through love Raskolnikov is purified of all the bad feelings and emotions that social injustice has create in him....more

One of the great books i've ever read in my life. It is the story of a man that fights with himself. It refers to the battle between "evil and good"that is inside every man, between the body and the spirit. Love can raise us above ourselves, can make us better men. Through love Raskolnikov is purified of all the bad feelings and emotions that social injustice has create in him. Rebbelion against the system and social injustice and can not be done with violence and hate but only with love and understanding of the opposite. This is the solution towards all societys problems. If we try to understand the reasons, then we maybe able to find the proper "cure".   hide

Just like the main character, the book redeems itself in the end. That may sound harsh, but I found it really difficult to get through. Not because Dosteoyevsky isn't a skilled novelist, or because he hasn't crafted the novel well, he is and has. It's just that I read the words 'loathesome, 'disgusting', 'dreary', and 'gloomy' so much that I began to...more

Just like the main character, the book redeems itself in the end. That may sound harsh, but I found it really difficult to get through. Not because Dosteoyevsky isn't a skilled novelist, or because he hasn't crafted the novel well, he is and has. It's just that I read the words 'loathesome, 'disgusting', 'dreary', and 'gloomy' so much that I began to adopt the same attitude toward reading the book. Of course, that's just a small part of what I feel about the book. That said, there are interesting ideas here, it just takes until the end of the book to really have them revealed.   hide

Never before have I read a book with such detailed descriptions, such psychologically developed characters, and such a intricate story. The reader is constantly given complete insight into the minds and souls of the characters, making everyone of their actions understandable. The depth and gripping nature of both the story and the lively writing style makes reading feel more like a journey...more

Never before have I read a book with such detailed descriptions, such psychologically developed characters, and such a intricate story. The reader is constantly given complete insight into the minds and souls of the characters, making everyone of their actions understandable. The depth and gripping nature of both the story and the lively writing style makes reading feel more like a journey through Raskolnikov's St. Petersburg rather than reading a simple book. This book simply stands high above much simpler books, that is to say most books. It is as if every chapter could be a self sufficient short story and still be a great work of literature. Dostoyevsky is a true master of the literary art.   hide

An amazing journey through the psyche of Raskolnikov, a former student struck by poverty and crazy ideas. Dostoyevsky is the master of narration, and he tells us the story through intense and detailed conversations. Can crime be justified? an eternal question that presents itself in every page, as you alternate between love and hate for the young Rodny who believes that there are two types of...more

An amazing journey through the psyche of Raskolnikov, a former student struck by poverty and crazy ideas. Dostoyevsky is the master of narration, and he tells us the story through intense and detailed conversations. Can crime be justified? an eternal question that presents itself in every page, as you alternate between love and hate for the young Rodny who believes that there are two types of people: regular and extraordinary. The latter have to spill some blood to communicate their magnificent ideas, which are for the better good after all. This 19th century classic illustrates to us the simplicity of the ideas that rush through one's mind before committing the unthinkable, and reminds us of the infinite power of our conscience, which can provide more punishment than the laws of the state. A total masterpeice. p.s. if you are new to Russian lit, you might get confused with the characters because of the names (each person has a first and middle name,and a short name)   hide

Painfully boring

This book is such a heavy read and it has that psychology thing going with it, you'll start to question your own morals and about the end justifying the means. The setting is horrendous and the poverty at that time made things worse. "Enjoy" is not really the word I would use to describe reading this book 'cause I felt that I was still studying. Sometimes I had to read the lines/paragraphs twice...more

This book is such a heavy read and it has that psychology thing going with it, you'll start to question your own morals and about the end justifying the means. The setting is horrendous and the poverty at that time made things worse. "Enjoy" is not really the word I would use to describe reading this book 'cause I felt that I was still studying. Sometimes I had to read the lines/paragraphs twice because of the fine print but in its general context, I loved the book. It has a good translation and excellent plot. Characters were introduced and Dostoevsky gave us a ride to Raskolnikov's brain.   hide

If I were to rate all Dostoevsky's books, this one would probably fall in the middle of the pack. As in most of Dostoevsky's books, the characters are wracked with passion, desires, and principles. The torturous and maddening anguish that the hero finds himself mired in seems to be mirrored in the almost suffocating ties that lace the characters together. Passion, desire, greed, and...more

If I were to rate all Dostoevsky's books, this one would probably fall in the middle of the pack. As in most of Dostoevsky's books, the characters are wracked with passion, desires, and principles. The torturous and maddening anguish that the hero finds himself mired in seems to be mirrored in the almost suffocating ties that lace the characters together. Passion, desire, greed, and despair are ever present themes that drive several characters mad and lend to the feeling of degeneration. Several passages are so chaotic and fevered they border on stream of consciousness. The book ends, however, on a redeeming and hopeful note. It's a classic and I think quite novel in its content, so although I think the themes are somewhat better explored in his other works, this is still a must read.   hide

The way in which Dostoevsky has planned out the thought processes of a main who is consumed by the heavy burden and brought it too the page is pure brilliance and is gripping through and through. All of the characters which enhabit Dostoevsky's St Petersberg are all full of their own idiosyncrasies which become unmistakeable when you get to know them. This fullness of character leads to some...more

The way in which Dostoevsky has planned out the thought processes of a main who is consumed by the heavy burden and brought it too the page is pure brilliance and is gripping through and through. All of the characters which enhabit Dostoevsky's St Petersberg are all full of their own idiosyncrasies which become unmistakeable when you get to know them. This fullness of character leads to some page turning dialogue which no matter how mudane the subject matter may is throughly compelling. Crime and punishment is however a fairly heavy read at times, it took me much longer to finish this book than many others. This is most probally due to time in which it was written and the fact it has been translated from Russian.   hide