Crime and Punishment stands as a cornerstone of Russian literature, leaving an indelible mark on the literary landscape. This timeless masterpiece delves into the dark recesses of the human psyche, exploring themes of guilt, redemption, and the consequences of moral transgressions. Published in 1866, this novel continues to captivate readers with its powerful narrative and profound insights into the human condition.

At its core, Crime and Punishment presents the compelling story of Rodion Raskolnikov, a destitute student who commits a heinous crime. The novel artfully delves into Raskolnikov's tortured conscience, skillfully dissecting the intricate workings of his mind. Dostoevsky's remarkable ability to delve into the depths of the human psyche allows readers to empathize with the complex, flawed characters that populate the story.
One of the key elements that sets Crime and Punishment apart is its exploration of moral dilemmas and the consequences of immoral actions. Dostoevsky poses thought-provoking questions about the nature of guilt and the capacity for redemption. As readers follow Raskolnikov's inner turmoil, they are forced to confront their own ethical beliefs and consider the consequences of their choices. This introspective aspect of the novel has had a profound impact on Russian literature, as subsequent works have often explored similar moral quandaries.

Another remarkable aspect of Crime and Punishment is its depiction of St. Petersburg, the setting that serves as a metaphorical reflection of Raskolnikov's mental state. Dostoevsky paints a vivid and atmospheric picture of the city, employing vivid descriptions that add depth and texture to the narrative. This portrayal of St. Petersburg as a character in itself has influenced subsequent Russian writers, who have utilized settings to convey deeper meanings and symbolize the psychological state of their characters.

Furthermore, Dostoevsky's meticulous character development in Crime and Punishment has had a profound impact on Russian literature. Through his vivid portrayal of Raskolnikov and other central figures, the author delves into the complexity of human nature, highlighting the internal struggles and contradictions within each individual. This rich character exploration has inspired countless Russian authors, who have sought to create multi-dimensional, psychologically complex protagonists in their own works.

Crime and Punishment's influence on Russian literature cannot be overstated. It paved the way for a new era of introspective and psychologically driven narratives. Dostoevsky's exploration of moral dilemmas, his masterful depiction of St. Petersburg, and his profound character development have become hallmarks of Russian literary tradition.

Overall , Crime and Punishment remains an iconic work that has left an enduring impact on Russian literature. Dostoevsky's exploration of the human psyche and his thought-provoking examination of moral dilemmas continue to resonate with readers to this day. Through this novel, he has shaped the course of Russian literature, inspiring generations of writers to delve into the depths of human experience and tackle profound philosophical questions. Crime and Punishment stands as a testament to the power of literature to illuminate the complexities of the human condition.

Crime and Punishment is a book I've been intending to read for years. What better time than a pandemic, stuck at home for days on end, to tackle this lengthy novel? 

I'm not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, it's a brilliant character study. On the other --- did we really need 671 pages, Dostoyevsky???  The murder happens about 15% of the way in, and then the remaining 85% of the book is this dude going crazy, worrying he'll be caught. In addition, there's the unrelenting policeman who keeps hounding him, a doctor and friend who are both trying to help him, his mother and sister who don't know what the fuck is wrong with him, and the young lady who is forced to prostitute herself with whom he falls in love. 

There are several other characters as well. Thankfully the entire book isn't just Raskolnikov obsessing over being caught. However, these characters engage in such long-winded conversations that I frequently forgot how they even started by the time they ended. 

When I was younger, I loved this sort of writing. The older I get, the less patience I have for it. I think if I'd read this in my 20s, it would be a favourite book of mine. Reading it in my 40s... nowhere near it.

Making it harder to enjoy is the fact that I could not stand the main character. He is odious! He kills two women and feels not one ounce of remorse. Instead we are to feel sorry for him that he's so worried about getting caught! He thinks it's OK that he killed them because extraordinary people such as himself are allowed to break the rules, are even expected to. If that includes killing people, so be it. He compares himself to Napoleon with his "extraordinariness", though I failed to see anything remotely exceptional about him. He dropped out of university, he's living in squalor in some rented room, drinking and sleeping away the days. 

Raskolnikov's only accomplishment, aside from wielding an axe to bludgeon in two women's heads, appears to have been an article he wrote. I just don't get what Dostoyevsky was trying to do with this. What is the moral of the story? Is there one?

I'm glad I read it and there were times when I was completely absorbed in the story. Unfortunately, there were more times when it was all so tedious that I had to force myself to keep with it.  The ending was satisfactory, making it worth persevering.  I think!

(May 2020 Classic-of-the-month)

How do we criticize such a monument? I dared not attack this prominent author for a long time, and then Santa Claus forced my hand; no regrets, on the contrary! Indeed, not only is the reading not tricky, but what depth?
Through the story of Raskolnikov, the narrator proposes to confront us with the moral contradictions that sometimes agitate us. For example, is murder still a crime? If we consider the victim's acts, can we assume that, in any case, she deserves life? And is it, not the fact of Great Men to take this decision for the common good? Here is the dilemma decided (with an axe) by Raskolnikoff, who wants to be an extraordinary destiny, and nothing seems to change his mind. However, his actions do not stop haunting him, and he might see a message from his subconscious. Since then, nothing can make him happy. He has lost his life by taking that of someone else. This fact raises the question of the rights that one can or not grant to oneself despite the law and morality (such as taking justice into oneself, for example) and, more generally, can be a death sentence.
Finally, the narrator offers us love, as a way of redemption. After all, the discovery of true love may restore the Humanity that his reason and actions had made him lose. It is a jewel of psychological, philosophical, and literary finesse and openness to introspection. To read and reread!

Certain components resonated but too long-winded

Crime and Punishment centers on a student (or former student), Raskolnikov. He is in a dire financial predicament and is forced into pawning his most treasured and sentimental items. Why should the good, kind Raskolnikov suffer while the greedy pawnbroker grows more and more wealthy, profiting off the suffering of the unfortunate? Wouldn’t it be better for Raskolnikov to eliminate the pawnbroker and distribute the riches to the needy?

Let’s start with the pros of this book, shall we?

Raskolnikov in many ways is a highly relatable character—he considers himself to be a good person who has fallen on tough times, and he is highly attuned to the tragic events happening around him; he doesn’t turn away from the suffering of others, he doesn’t stay out of it. He tries to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

This book also has a tremendous number of great quotes, and Crime and Punishment is the definition of a classic—each time the reader could learn something new during each reread.

One scene in particular is incredibly moving, a beautiful, thought-provoking scene; it involves Sonia and the 100 ruble note.

Now, for the cons……

Good grief! The character names were extremely confusing! For example, Raskolnikov is also Rodya, Pyotr Petrovich is also Luzhin, and Sonia is also Sofya Semyonova. Additionally, Razumihin and Raskolnikov, the similar sounding names and length were extremely confusing. Is this a bad translation or is this intentional?

Further, this book is rather depressing. This book did not delight my soul—it is a bleak reminder about the depravity of humankind (as if I needed another reminder).

And the ultimate crime is that Crime and Punishment is too long-winded. To be clear, the discussion of philosophy can be riveting and important. Can good people do “bad” things? Why are some people exempt from normal standards of behavior? For example, killing people is typically illegal and morally frown upon, but a soldier in war might be expected to kill. It is moral to kill one person to save many? Should we be defined by our occupation or our moral character?

But…my gosh! It was overly done. Raskolnikov, Rodya (whatever you are going by these days)—just get on with it! Please move on, one way or another!

The Green Light at the End of the Dock (How much I spent):
Electronic Text – Free through Libby
Audiobook – 1 Audible Credit (Audible Premium Plus Annual – 24 Credits Membership Plan $229.50 or roughly $9.56 per credit)

2025 Reading Schedule
JantA Town Like Alice
FebtBirdsong
MartCaptain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
AprtWar and Peace
MaytThe Woman in White
JuntAtonement
JultThe Shadow of the Wind
AugtJude the Obscure
SeptUlysses
OcttVanity Fair
NovtA Fine Balance
DectGerminal

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This year I decided to attack my list of unread classics with vigor and courage, so I finished a novel that has been on my to-read list for about 25 years.

I don't remember why "Crime and Punishment" first piqued my interest back in high school, but since then I've been meaning to read it, along with some of the other great Russian novels. And now, thanks to my obsession with audiobooks, I've finally read it.

The novel follows Raskolnikov, a poor student in St. Petersburg who becomes obsessed with killing an old woman for her money. He justifies his murderous plan by arguing that the woman, who is a pawnbroker, deserves to die because she takes advantage of the poor with her high interest rates.

After committing the crime, which Raskolnikov bungles, he is overcome with guilt and remorse. He becomes even more deranged, especially when an investigator suspects Raskolnikov of the murder.

Even though this book was published in the 1860s, it felt quite timeless: a man plots a crime, and then is wracked with guilt. A detective tracks him down, making the suspect even more paranoid and unhinged. It's just like a modern crime drama on TV.

There were several aspects of this novel that especially impressed me. First was Dostoyevsky's emphasis on the mental anguish of Raskolnikov. It felt very progressive to have such a psychological angle, especially when the field of psychology was so young.

I was also impressed with how Dostoyevsky wrote about the women in the book, especially Raskolnikov's mother and sister, and also Sonya, a young woman whom he fancies. There was such compassion for the difficult choices the women had to make to survive, and his distaste for the various ways they had to sacrifice themselves showed a feminist leaning that I hadn't expected.

Finally, I need to comment on the structure of this novel. Early in the book, Raskolnikov goes into a bar and a chatty stranger begins a long, rambling conversation with him. While reading this section, I started to get impatient, and wondered what the point was. I paused the book and gave myself a quick lecture: "Diane, you're reading one of the great Russian novels. Give Doystoyevsky time. He's a master writer — let him tell the story."

So I proceeded on, and of course, Doystoyevsky was vindicated on all counts. The man in the bar was a critical character and was crucial to the rest of the plot. After finishing the novel, I reflected that every scene, every person, was necessary to tell the whole story. My impatience was more about the hurriedness of modern life and of the pressure in Western culture to GOGOGOGOGO than it was a fault of his writing.

I highly recommend this thoughtful novel. I've spent a lot of time thinking about Raskolnikov and the women in the book, and I'm glad I took the time to read it.

(Book 867 from 1001 Books) - Преступление и наказание = Prestupleniye i nakazaniye = Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky

Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky.

It was first published in the literary journal The Russian Messenger in twelve monthly installments during 1866.

It is the second of Dostoevsky's full-length novels following his return from 5 years of exile in Siberia.

Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, a former law student, lives in extreme poverty in a tiny, rented room in Saint Petersburg.

Isolated and antisocial, he has abandoned all attempts to support himself, and is brooding obsessively on a scheme he has devised to murder and rob an elderly pawn-broker. On the pretext of pawning a watch, he visits her apartment, but remains unable to commit himself.

Later in a tavern he makes the acquaintance of Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov, a drunkard who recently squandered his family's little wealth. Marmeladov tells him about his teenage daughter, Sonya, who has chosen to become a prostitute in order to support the family.

The next day Raskolnikov receives a letter from his mother in which she describes the problems of his sister Dunya, who has been working as a governess, with her ill-intentioned employer, Svidrigailov.

To escape her vulnerable position, and with hopes of helping her brother, Dunya has chosen to marry a wealthy suitor, Luzhin, whom they are coming to meet in Petersburg. Details in the letter suggest that Luzhin is a conceited opportunist who is seeking to take advantage of Dunya's situation.

Raskolnikov is enraged at his sister's sacrifice, feeling it is the same as what Sonya felt compelled to do. Painfully aware of his own poverty and impotence, his thoughts return to his idea. A further series of internal and external events seem to conspire to compel him toward the resolution to enact it. ...

عنوانها: «جنایت و کیفر (مترجم: محمدرضا عسکری در 147 ص)»؛ «جنایت و مکافات»؛ نویسنده: فئودور داستایوسکی؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: در ماه می سال 1970میلادی

عنوان: جنایت و مکافات؛ نویسنده: فئودور داستایوسکی؛ مترجم: مهری آهی، تهران، صفیعلیشاه، 1345؛ در 790ص؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، خوارزمی، سال1363؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان روسیه - سده 19م

کهنترین ترجمه را جناب: «اسحق لاله زاری و انتشارات صفیعلیشاه از این کتاب نشر داده اند، در 396ص»، سپس بانو: «مهری آهی، در790صفحه، انتشارات خوارزمی»، جناب «بهروز بهزاد هم در 626ص انتشارات دنیای کتاب»؛ جناب «اصغر رستگار نیز در دو جلد در اصفهان، نشر فردا»؛ جناب «عنایت الله شکیباپور در 626ص»؛ جناب «پرویز شهدی کتاب پارسه در 659ص»؛ جناب «احمد علیقلیان در730ص نشر مرکز»، بانو «لویا روایی نیا، نگارستان کتاب در 976ص»؛ بانو «هانیه چوپانی، در 800ص، نشر فراروی»؛ بانو «مریم امیر و بانو آرزو پیراسته در 811ص، یاقوت کویر»؛ جناب «علی صحرایی در 775ص؛ نشر مهتاب»؛ جناب «اصغر رستگار در 711ص نشر نگاه»؛ نسخه خلاصه شده: با ترجمه جناب: «امیر اسماعیلی؛ تهران، توس، 1364؛ در 214ص»؛ و ....؛

داستان دانشجویی به نام: «راسکولْنیکُف» است، که با رعایت اصول، مرتکب کشتار می‌شود؛ با انگیزه‌ های پیچیده‌ ای، که حتی خود «راسکولنیکف» از تحلیل آنها عاجز است؛ او زن رباخواری را، همراه با خواهرش (که نامنتظره به هنگام رویدادن قتل در صحنه حاضر شده) می‌کشد، و پس از قتل، خود را ناتوان از خرج پولها، و جواهراتی که برداشته، می‌بیند؛ و آنها را پنهان می‌کند؛ پس از چند روز بیماری، و بستری شدن در خانه، «راسکولنیکف» این تصور را، که هر کس را که می‌بیند، انگار به او مظنون است؛ و با این افکار، کارش به جنون می‌کشد؛ در این بین او عاشق «سونیا» است، دختری که به خاطر مشکلات مالی خانواده‌ اش، دست به تن‌ فروشی زده است؛ مضمون و درون‌مایه ی رمان، تحلیلِ انگیزه‌ های قتل، و تأثیر قتل بر قاتل است؛ که «داستایوسکی» مسئلهٔ رابطه ی میان خویشتن، و جهان پیرامون، و فرد و جامعه، را در آن گنجانده اند؛ ...؛ خوانش نخستین بار این کتاب مدهوشم کرد

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 02/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 10/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

I kept wishing it should never end. The re-read made me appreciate the themes,psychology and everything about Dostoevsky's writing more. An extremely immersive read, brilliant in every aspect.
There is so much to say, but I am always speechless when I finish a work of Dostoevsky.
I never considered myself to be qualified to write a review of his work, I can only admire and worship.
Glad to have revisited this masterpiece. This translation is perfect,highly recommend it to anyone who wants to try this.
I am still stuck in Raskolnikov's mind, it will take a while to come out of it.
Looking forward to re-reading Dostoevsky's other works.

I first read Crime and Punishment when I was about sixteen. It made a profound impression on me, firstly it put me off reading science-fiction and fantasy for a good decade (which had been my standard fare during the teenage years - because in this book I found one extreme of what writing can do - it can stop you dead in the street, and possesses your imagination, secondly it was a book which described a world of poverty and abuse that seemed familiar to me - my father worked in child protection when I was young and stories of those children formed part of my upbringing invoked in much the same manner as the hungry Belgians who crowd unseen round the plates of children who won't eat their dinner. The claustrophobic mental state of Raskolnikov overwhelmed me from time to time, and once left me marooned on a traffic island watching the mad flow of vehicles until I could pick a safer crossing over a space that wasn't Sennaya Ploshchad'.

This is another shock novel of the Victorian city. Poverty, alcoholism, reformed families that make the Brady Bunch look like a reasonable experiment in living, desperation that you can smell, sexual predation, clashing ideas, murder.

It is a crime story told from the point of view of the criminal that demonstrates the range and capabilities of the genre. An dthis the story of murder and detection makes this the most approachable of Dostoevsky's later novels. We live in the criminal's mind. See his guilt, feel the whys and the dead end of the crime, we are pursued, knowing the only escape is to surrender. This is also the story of a man's relationship to society and the thrust of the story, sharper than a borrowed axe, is psychological.

Here is a rich picture of St. Petersburg society from the bottom up. The struggle for a decent life, the arid reality and the hero's daydreams of Haussmann's redesign of Paris as if the answer to grinding, crushing workings of society is to sweep everybody up and lay down boulevards and Crystal Palaces instead. Yet the environment does shape the novel, in the open spaces of Siberia, as Dostoevsky was, one can be reborn, while in the city it gets so claustrophobic that like Raskolnikov one can be pushed back into one's own skull.

However, typically of Dostoevsky's post Siberian writing the vital question answered by the novel is man's relationship with God. This is a deeply Christian novel. From the inversion of the values of the Divine Realm in the earthly one so that Sophia the Divine Wisdom I think this is a concept more typical of the Orthodox churches than of Catholicism or the Protestant Churches, there is also an element of the Holy Fool about Sonia who becomes a social outcast for the salvation of others becomes Sonia the prostitute, to the confrontation in dialogue between the representative of the Emperor and the martyr confessing their faith typical of the Passion narratives The introduction of Visions of Glory gives an overview of this kind of writing.

The relationship between the hero and God is expressed through his name: Raskolnikov Other characters have significant names too: Razumikhin - Mr Reasonable, Marmeladov - Mr Marmalade not that he is spreadable rather simply tragic-comic. These kind of names might be due to the influence of Dickens. Dostoevsky apparently had read several of Dickens' early novels though in French translations. . The Raskolniki in Russia were the Old Believers, a group who had split themselves off from mainstream Russian society over issues of religious practice in the seventeenth century. Raskolnikov is a splitter, a schismatic. The cause of Raskolnikov's split and alienation from society is ideological. Unlike his namesakes - the Old Believers who looked inwards to traditional Russian Culture - our hero obsesses over Napoleon III as a role model  rarely a good sign  and reformer of the urban landscape , something particularly striking in a novel set in St. Petersburg which was in any case looked far more like a western European city than most Russian conurbations, and the Crystal Palace (see also Notes from the Underground for more of this.) These are fantasies about human perfectibility that ignore God and so in Dostoevsky's view split him off, isolate him from communion with the rest of humanity.

Wisdom rules that the only answer is a public confession in Sennaya Ploshchad', the bustling St. Petersburg Haymarket. When I crossed Sennaya Ploshchad' in a winter in the early 90s it was easy to imagine the scene. The women one of my abiding memories of that place and time was that St. Petersburg was a place where the women worked. For those of us who constitute the minority of the world's human population there was alcohol instead. However this seemed to work out in a broadly acceptable way since the women loved the men and the men fancied themselves too. This was epitomised on the day that I saw the son who in the army had learnt how to make Pelmeni sitting up on the only stool in the kitchen directing in Stakhanovite fashion the labour of his elderly mother, harassed looking wife and too sweet natured daughter as they knelt on their knees rolling out the dough for what looked to be several thousand Pelmeni. I alone was bemused by this. I don't think this has any bearing on the novel Crime and Punishment whatsoever selling flowers imported by the Invisible Hand via Holland, kept in perspex fronted boxes and warmed by a candle, would have looked on bemused as a modern Raskolnikov knelt on the loose cardboard and newspapers that dirtied the ice and snow of the square. In earthly terms it makes no sense, it is a crazy gesture, but it is one of Mikhail Bakhtin's carnival moments - so in divine terms it is supremely logical. The acceptance of punishment is the beginning of the imitation of Christ.

This review points out the nomads in the background to the final scene. This it seems to me as another reminder that this is a religious story working in the framework of divine history in which certain patterns repeat themselves until the Apocalypse and the end of time. Crime and Punishment is a repetition of the story of Cain and Abel. The pastoralists free life in uninterrupted covenant with nature contrasts to that of Raskolnikov, a settled Cain, who was doomed to murder his fellow man.

لماذا أخرت قراءة دستويفسكي كل هذا التأخير؟ هل لنفوري المكتسب من كل ما نال الاستحسان "بالإجماع"؟ هل توقعتُ أن كتاباته مثلًا مفرطة في الكلاسيكية؟ هل كان السبب هو إفراطي أنا في الكسل، كلما نظرت إلى رواياته الأشهر والتي تتجاوز الألف صفحة؟ لم أقرأ روايات بهذا الحجم إلا مرتين: لعبة العروش (التي تفيض كل صفحة منها بالإثارة) وموبي ديك (وبطلها حوت عنبر، وأنا شغوف بالحيتان).

الغريب أن حبي للفن الروسي يمتد حتى إلى الطفولة، وإلى كتب دار رادوغا نفسها التي كانت - في طفولتي - كتبًا تباع جديدة في معارض كتاب العالم العربي. كانت كتبي - التي ضاعت الآن بكل حسرة - تحوي رسومًا لا تزال شاخصة أمام ذاكرتي بتفاصيلها. أما عن جمال الأفلام المتحركة الروسية فحدث ولا حرج. لكن دستويفسكي كان دائمًا يشبه المهمة الثقيلة على روحي، والتي أعرف أنها ضرورة لا بد منها، وأقول لنفسي: يومًا ما سأقرأ دستويفسكي.

والأغرب أنني حاولت بالفعل قراءة دستويفسكي - بل الجريمة والعقاب نفسها - قبل اليوم بسنوات، وقرأت عدة صفحات لكنني توقفت. هالني وقتئذٍ حجم المجلد الأول فقط، وربما شعرت برتابة البداية فتركتها، وربما قلت لنفسي: في وقت قرائتها هي أستطيع قراءة أربعة كتب أخرى. تركتها وأنا أعرف أنني سأعود إليها يومًا ما.

وكانت العودة لأغرب سبب ممكن. كنت قد توقفت عن القراءة الإلكترونية فقررت العودة لانتقاء كتاب ورقي من مكتبتي، ولما كنت أحب الحفاظ على الكتب (وفي العادة أضع الكتاب داخل كيس في حقيبة الظهر)، فقد فضلت أن أنتقي كتابًا حالته متردية بالفعل، ولهذا السبب وحده - تقريبًا - وقع الاختيار على الجريمة والعقاب.

وفي أقل من شهرين أنهيت أعظم رواية قرأتها حتى اليوم. هل أستطيع أن أزيد على ذلك في الكلام عنها؟ ربما، لكن ليس الآن. فقد كانت حرارة جسمي ترتفع حرفيًا قرب النهاية. سأكتفي الآن أن أقول لنفسي: يومًا ما سأتكلم عن دستويفسكي.

أحمد الديب
مايو 2017

i thought these people would never stop talking

Schuld und Sühne"
The book is excellent literature of the highest level and can still be read easily and easily. As usual with Dostoyevsky, the characters are shaken by great emotions, nobody stays calm. The account of the murder of the pawnbroker and her sister, as well as the interrogation of the shrewd policeman is among the highlights. The story takes surprising turns again and again. The descriptions Dostoevsky everything is simply incomparable. You are in the middle of history and everywhere. Guilt and atonement is a very readable classic that lets you look deeply into the human abysses.
This book guilt and atonement is a psychological, philosophical, religious, and at the same time social.