clevermird's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Joking aside, Crime and Punishment tells the story of college dropout Raskolnikov, teetering on the edge of destitution and consumed by a strange mix of depression and lofty philosophical musings. In his half-starved despair, he convinces himself that some murders are morally justified and sets out to prove that theory on his pawnbroker. What follows is a series of intertwined events that will change the lives of everyone involved - and end several of them.
This was a hard one for me to review because even after spending a month reading it, I'm not sure how I feel about it. I didn't feel like I enjoyed it while I was reading it. The prose is dense, the language complex, and many characters spend a long time monologuing. The subject matter is bleak and gritty. But then, every time I set it down, I found myself wondering what happened next and musing on the characters and motivations. It's a book that makes you feel accomplished when you finish it, one that takes you deep into the interior lives of its characters. It also feels as thought the characters, Raskolnikov in particular, are deeply personal to the author, which adds a layer of richness to the story that I feel like is hard to replicate.
Overall, not an easy or fun book to read, but one that is a classic for a reason, with a lot to chew on philosophically and some in-depth character study.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, Murder, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Blood, Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Antisemitism and Stalking
gillbethkinder's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Child abuse, and Classism
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Eating disorder, Medical content, Stalking, and Sexual content
sunlandic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Pedophilia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Classism, and Confinement
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, and Xenophobia
sunny_not's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Spoiler
all is resolved with the power of love? What was that? Also the misogyny was quite awful especially during the part before the confession sceneGraphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Gore, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Domestic abuse, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Violence