Crime and Punishment (Penguin Classics)
The classic novel of guilt and redemption from one of Russia's greatest novelists
Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden prostitute, can offer the chance of redemption.
This vivid translation by David McDuff has been acclaimed as the most accessible version of Dostoyevsky’s great novel, rendering its dialogue with a unique force and naturalism. This edition also includes a chronology of Dostoyevsky’s life and work.
Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden prostitute, can offer the chance of redemption.
This vivid translation by David McDuff has been acclaimed as the most accessible version of Dostoyevsky’s great novel, rendering its dialogue with a unique force and naturalism. This edition also includes a chronology of Dostoyevsky’s life and work.
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Readers say *Crime and Punishment* is a profound, character-driven classic with timeless insights into morality, guilt, and humanity. Many praise Dost...
A graduate student who led an undergraduate creative writing class I took labeled this book "a religious experience." I agree.
Are there awards for finishing a Dostoevsky novel? There should be. This was a hard book to read, and I struggled with my rating, but in the end I settled on ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. It’s a novel that leaves you with more questions than answers so I feel like it’s worth the read.
I read Crime and Punishment in high school for AP English and dreaded it ... until the actual reading started. I had no idea that it was going to have a lifelong, perhaps even profound, impact on me. At the time, it was the darkest fiction I had ever read, and showed me a different perspective that became a significant influence on me as a person and as an author. First, the way Dostoevsky illustrates the dark in life makes it easier to see the light, not to mention making it easier to appreciate it. Second, it made me realize that, yes, life is hard, but it's OK to write about the hard and its less-savory ramifications, rather than sweeping them under the rug and pretending that life is perfect or creating perfect worlds of escapism. It's almost a nihilistic approach of staring into the darkness in order to fully appreciate the normal, then REALLY appreciate the good. Highly recommended!
This is not my genre... it took me nearly an entire month to read. There are points of intrigue where the story gets interesting. However the majority of the story just drags. It reads almost like a play which is unique. The protagonist seems bipolar and in the throws of a manic breakdown. Most of the people he speaks with sound corrupt, perverted, or out of their mind. I read this eith some of the ladies in my book club and I am happy to read something different and discuss books with friends. Otherwise, I would consider this book a waste of time.
I thought Rodia was similar to the Catcher in the Rye main character. I found him quite annoying and not an enjoyable protagonist. I thought the story dragged on for too long and I somewhat disagree with the author. Everyone carries things to their grave and do not need to make confessions. I find Razum's unyielding friendship something not normal, based off their lack of strong history.
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