Crime and Punishment

Twee hele nachten door gehaald en ik heb het UIT. IK HEB HET UIT. Begon een beetje apart maar toen ik er eenmaal in zat kon ik het niet wegleggen. Om zo intens mee te gaan in de spanning, de angst en de gevoelens heb ik niet snel met een boek. Absolutely immaculate.

This took me insanely long to read... Man... It's not bad, a great book really, just a demanding read every time one picks it up. It probably wasn't the right time in my life to read this I suppose, but at the same time, the final ~100 pages or so is a rousing finish. It also seems a tragedy the novel character of Svidrigailov doesn't truly make an appearance until the novel is nearly ended... Mentioned quickly at the outset but not seen until much later, he truly is a disgusting villain, and a fascinating contrast to the conflicting protagonist of Raskolnikov who is perhaps himself given too much of a pass by Dostoevsky. The best part of this novel to me, as Karamazov and The Idiot before, is the concept of the “Laceration” repeated again. This is finalized and perfected in Karamazov but here it is again present, the nature of human beings to err and to continue in their prideful course to harm others and themselves. Raskolnikov torments those who love him simply to remind himself of their love, it is shameful behavior and alienated me from him as a protagonist. At the same time, it's hard not to see that this is still common behavior today, shame and pride push people beyond all sense. It's a great book, yet again I think Karamazov is still the best synthesis of Dostoevsky's stream of consciousness prose and observations on human nature.

Just finished this Russian classic today and I am wondering why I didn't read it sooner. It was a mysterious and dark novel written in a classic Russian style during the time period it was written in. Masterful writing that reels you in with unlikable characters with strong character development.

I enjoyed this a little more than The Brothers Karamazov. Both were fantastic. There's so much depth to the characters, their relationships, and Raskolnikov's internal deliberations. Superb from start to finish.

The Wikipedia page for the book is an interesting read, especially the Background section describing how the book was written.

7/10

This was interesting, basically, the main character is this young man who is studying law and he is in debt and stuff to this old wicked woman. So he decided killing her would be good for everyone as there's one less parasite for Russia. And he does but then he lives with that burden the whole time acting like crazy, worrying everyone, and is in high-stress mode all the time. He is kind in his heart and his decision wasn't that egoistic as he worries and cares a lot about his family especially his sister who is willing to marry this rich, evil man just so they have money. So the story is basically contemporary with some killings, crimes, and suicide. The characters mostly have good intentions even if they don't seem so. It's an interesting take on if committing a crime is a crime if it was for good and stuff. I actually enjoyed it even though names were confusing as they were pretty similar... Rodia was a very complex and interesting character! Oh, and it's also very focused on religion and God as the way Rodia feels better is through that and many people keep mentioning to pray to God so he forgives his sins. It's an old book but it was pleasant to read!

One sentence synopsis... An unstable young man commits a murder (with motives less mercenary than experimental) setting off an epic of suffering and eventual salvation...kinda.

Read it if you like... Kendall's storyline in Succession.

Dream casting... a 20 years younger Jeremy Strong (happy bday, my dude) would be my perfect Raskolnikov but if we're trying to be more age accurate then Nicholas Hoult could also play it. With Caleb Landry Jones as Svidrigailov.

I made it though another book I thought would be “too hard” and “too long”. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book. I knew that the story contained a brutal murder and I was of of course horrified by it. However I found that as the book carried on I was able to have empathy for Raskolnikov. There is amazing character development explored in this book. I think I would need to revisit the book several time to gain an understanding of all the psychological, social and political ideas presented. This is a book to be read slowly and contemplated.

I'm a little disturbed by how much I can relate to Raskolnikov's incessant inner dialogue.

3.75 porque a ideia e o desenvolvimento humano são realmente incríveis. Eu me vi contando sobre o livro ontem e falando “entendo o hype atemporal: a loucura, a fome, a intelectualidade, o frio, a pobreza, a família: todos valores que são eternos “. Mas o gênero de narrativa não é pra mim, me lembrou O senhor dos anéis, e a qtde de nomes pra uma única pessoa numa única página chega a ser irritante. E se houve personagens ótimos como o famigerado Piotr houve outros que me mataram de irritação. A vdd é que eu esperava amar incondicionalmente esse livro e termino com ele na lista de educadamente admirados que não morarão no meu coração.

A book about ambiguity in everything. Shoving the intricate mess that is humanity onto the reader's face and proudly implying every single step of the way that it's indecipherable.

I read this book a couple of years ago. Before “Crime and Punishment” my favorite author whom I would have wanted to meet if I could, was Charles Dickens. I've read and loved all his books and every Biography written about him.

Then one day, I was bored, and decided that this book, Crime and Punishment, with its many Pages, should keep me busy for a while. Besides it was written by a Russian author and I always wanted to read one of those.

Well, I started reading the book early one afternoon, and I simply couldn't put it down. It was a book of inner conflict, deep psychological issues and human suffering. After “the deed was done”, I was inside the mind of Raskolnikov and could feel his guilt and shame. He was also seeking redemption and his life had not changed but his suffering only became worse. Though he murdered somebody, he was so sorry, that I could also not stop myself from feeling sorry for him. After Crime and Punishment, I read Fyodor Dostoevsky's Autobiography and also the Biography written by his wife. I have read about his life as a prisoner in Siberia and I'm currently reading “The Brothers Karamazov”.

Without a doubt, if you're looking to read a truly deep story, read Crime and Punishment. It was and still is the best book I've ever read, including all those written by Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and The Brönte Sisters.

Highly recommend.

I regard this book as perhaps the greatest of all time. The characters are incredibly richly developed (to an extent that most real humans cannot hope to match the depth of Raskolnikov, Raz, Sonya, and Porfiry). The story is engaging and a thrill to follow. If anyone asked me, what book would you recommend? I'd recommend Crime and Punishment, no matter who asks. It is a must-read!

Okay, full disclosure, I hated a lot of things about this book. And yet, there were a lot of things I found important. So without getting into the weeds about why I've decided I (in all likelihood) universally dislike Russian literature, I will simply state that:

A) I think this book is important for what it teaches about the human condition and mankind's relationship to moral crime. While fiction is limited to an expression of the author's perspective, Dostoyevsky lands pretty cleanly in line with my personal viewpoints.

B) The narrative was maddening. I don't often struggle with a meandering narrative—even in novels from the same period don't bother me—unless they're Russian. I'm not sure why that is and my opinion has little bearing on how “good” a story was. A good friend of mine is a Russian scholar, he speaks the language, mingles comfortably in that country and with Russian people, and he loved this book. Perhaps my limitation comes from an ignorance of the Russian psyche and I'm not opposed to owning that truth. That being said, it would take a lot of prodding to get me to read another Russian work of fiction moving forward.

Un libro de Dostoyevsky que no solo habla de los grandes problemas humanos como acostumbra pero que ademas tiene trama y que te mantiene en vilo (por la mayor parte).

El libro sigue principalmente los pensamientos del protagonista y sus cambios de humor. En ese sentido es muy psicologico y muy Dostoyevsky. Pero hay un asesinato y una investigacion criminal que forman la trama principal.

I was looking forward to reading this book with some trepidation which is silly really because I am reading to relax and it shouldn't be work. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't actually turn out to be work but rather an enjoyable, enlightening experience. It was a little confusing in places and seemed quite disjointed in the dialogue but that was the style of the story. I have to say however, that I would like to read a different translation at some point because some of the sentences felt rather literally translated and just didn't seem right. I don't know if this is really the case or whether it was how the story was written in the first place but it would be interesting to see how other translators interpret certain parts of the story.
 
The beautiful Vintage Russian Classics edition of the book was a bit of a pain to read. I don't like breaking spines and so I had terrible cramp in my hands. Thick pages and a thick cover made it difficult to bend the book far enough to be able to hold it comfortably. Maybe I shouldn't be quite so fastidious but we all have our little quirks don't we?

“What do you think, would not one tiny crime be wiped out by thousands of good deeds?”

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky, you fuckin' genius! I'm rendered totally speechless by this masterpiece of yours. This is one of those books that you must not miss out on. It is an universal compendium of various ideas and aphorisms which are brilliantly knitted into a great tale about a man who commits a murder, blinded by his vanity while thinking he's intellectually superior others. Dostoyevsky is the master when it comes to understanding human nature and knows how to penetrate through your soul with his words. This book is an unforgettable classic. It is bound to make you introspect after you've finished reading it. Having said that, every time I read any of Dostoyevsky's works, at the end of the book, I come out as a completely different person. His books always leave an imprint on your mindset. Such is the literary flair of Dostoyevsky! Will now end my year wallowing in the reverie of this beautiful book.

Do not miss out on this timeless classic. I repeat. Do not miss out on this timeless classic!

I am very glad to have bought the penguin deluxe edition simply because the translation (I think) Is wonderfull and the annotations first class. When you read Dostoevsky you need a well annotated version just because he makes so many references of the times his works were written

In this book Dostoyevsky sends yet another young troubled man into his doom by having him murder a moneylender and his sister for what appears, just for the heck of it. Raskolnikov, much like Nietzche believes that there is really no need for God anymore since the modern human can survive perfectly well without religion, but can Raskolnikov cope with what he did without the Godly salvation? Can life be worth living if it's meaningless. I clearly see the inspiration that Albert Camus and other philosphers got from crime and punishment.

প্রথমেই বলি কী কী ভালো লাগেনি। ধর্মীয় ব্যাপারস্যাপার সুবিধার মনে হয় নি। তবে এটার জন্য দস্তয়ভস্কির প্রতি বিরূপ হওয়ার কোনো কারন নেই। লেখকরা সমাজের প্রগতিশীল মানুষের কাতারেও থাকলেও সমাজের স্বাভাবিক গতিজড়তায় কখনোই পড়বেন না এমনটা আশা করা যায় না। তাছাড়া, ধর্মের ব্যাপারটা অতিরিক্ত হয়নি।

চরিত্রগুলো গল্পের সাথে সাথে আস্তে আস্তে স্পষ্ট ও স্বকীয় হয়ে উঠেছে। প্রত্যেক সাধারণ মানুষ তাদের অসাধারণত্ব নিয়ে ধরা দিয়েছে দস্তয়ভস্কির কলমে।

এক অদ্ভুতধরনের অহংকারে আক্রান্ত কিন্তু সবমিলে একজন ভালোমানুষ রাস্কলনিকভ, আমাদের কেন্দ্রীয় চরিত্র, তার অন্তর্দ্বন্দ্ব, দুর্ভোগ, শয়তানি এবং শেষমেশ সরলজীবনের মর্মোপলব্ধি এই আখ্যানের উপজীব্য বিষয়। এর বাইরের অন্য চরিত্রগুলো কিন্তু এরজন্য ম্লান হয়নি যেমনটা সাধারণত দেখা যায়। স্ভিদগ্রেলভ (উচ্চারণত্রুটি মার্জনীয়। আমার ব্রাত্য জিহ্বা বড় নীরস।) চরিত্রটি আমায় বিশেষভাবে টেনেছে। সোনিয়ার সৎমা এবং বাবাও চমৎকার চরিত্র। পোরফিরি একটা চমৎকার অয়েলপেইন্টিং। রোডিয়ার মা এবং বোন এবং বন্ধু-কাম-দাদাবাবু রামুজিহিন এরা মোটামুটি সরল চরিত্র। সরল কিন্তু অনন্য। সোনিয়া... স্বর্গীয় পরিত্রাতা। এই চরিত্রটিও সরল তবে আমার খুব ভালোলাগে কেননা আমার পরিত্রাত্রীও এরকমই আরকি! :P

আমার সবচেয়ে ভালোলেগেছে যে বিষয়টা তাহলো, কেন্দ্রীয় চরিত্র প্রোটাগনিস্ট না, মানুষ।

I must not spoil the fun by retelling the novel. Read it, feel it by yourself.

It may be fairly ridiculous to give this book “only” four stars, but, despite the great stirring of ideas that I have had while reading it, some of the structure of the book left me wanting. The ideas are myriad, the imagery is fascinating, and I'm sure all of that will continue to impress itself on me for...well, forever. That said, I really think this book could have used an editor, especially the last half or so. Blasphemy, by somebody who just doesn't really “get it”? Maybe.

I'm sure I'll read this again someday, just like I did over 20 years ago, and get a different set of ideas about it–which is, of course, part of what makes it a great book.

This is a tentative five because there were some parts that I quite frankly wanted to rip out of the book. If I have to read another monologue, so help me... But the characters and the intensity of the emotion alone got this a five. Well done, Dostoevsky.

Dreary, cold January commutes are perhaps not the ideal time to listen to Crime and Punishment. But even with that disclaimer, boy did I dislike this novel–far more than I expected to. Scenes of gratuitous brutality, a thoroughly unsympathetic protagonist (and not bc he is a murderer but bc he is so very annoying in his self absorption), and women who are either totally hysterical or self-abnegating saints. Ewww. I understand it's 19th-century Russia; but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Die Russen zijn toch rare mannen.

This was a good (but long) read. I liked Dostoevsky's Brother's Karamazov better, but this one had its own twists and turns that made for a fun adventure. You don't really know until the very end what's going to happen, so it keeps you reading. I don't want to ruin any of it, but if you're up for a bit of a read in Dostoevsky's style, go for it.

The only things that really bother me about this style are the names, and the lack of place names throughout the text (X. prospect? V. Prospect? Come on!). Everyone has 2 names that are used interchangeably - for instance, the main character is Rodion Romanovich and Raskolnikov. All the names are similar too - there's an Ilya Petrovich and a Pyotr Petrovich in the book. This is just how Russia was, though, so it's OK. Just make sure to pay attention to who is who.

I enjoyed the pre-communist political discourse that's sprinkled throughout the book - particularly the first interview with Porfiry. I'll have to find a non-fiction source that elaborates the different political factions of the time and place someday.

A classic, a must read etc. But sometimes a bit tough to get through.