Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

4 reviews

rallsley's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Deportation

thecriticalreader's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 

Review:

As much as I tried not to, I entered Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment with a few preconceived notions based on people’s recommendation of the book. First, that this book is about a man who commits murder and his subsequent psychological unraveling—and while this description is not wrong, exactly, it’s a bit like describing Moby-Dick as a book about a man who hunts a whale for revenge. Crime and Punishment encompasses a lot more than the main character’s inner turmoil, with a wide cast of characters and complex plot. Second, I was told that this book would profoundly affect me emotionally and/or send me into an existential crisis, which it didn’t. Misconceptions aside, I loved Crime and Punishment. The characters are strong and well-realized, the plot is engrossing, and the book raises intriguing points about morality. My only complaints are that the first and second section are too long (I got sick of reading about the main protagonist’s unstable mental state) and that at times the plot relied on some rather convenient coincidences. 

 

The Run-Down: 

You will probably like Crime and Punishment . . . 

·      If you like classic literature, particular nineteenth-century literature

·      You enjoy books that delve into questions of morality and philosophy

 

You might not like Crime and Punishment . . . 

·      If you dislike long stretches of dialogue/rumination

·      If you are expecting a thriller or mystery

 

A Similar Book: Père Goriot by Honoré de Balzac (according to the footnotes in my edition, Crime and Punishment is actually partially inspired by Père Goriot, so the similarities are not coincidence! Similarities include . . .

·       An impoverished law student who moves to the big city away from his devoted mother and sister, who sacrifice a lot to send him to school

·       A protagonist who acts immorally in the face of poverty

·       A wide cast of characters navigating complex and unforgiving social systems

·       Themes exploring urban social ills, destitution, familial bonds, and morality

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization

nakednames's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

i love you rodion romanovich raskolnikov

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Stalking, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic

the grief is never ending but so is the love

imrath's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Antisemitism, and Fire/Fire injury