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orsted's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bittersweetend's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
blasphemer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
modicaprio'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
tom84629'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
5.0
carlos_jperdomo's review against another edition
- 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
rileypeper's review against another edition
5.0
If you want to do some personal reflection, and think about some of life's more difficult moral questions, this is a great place to start.
I think we all have at least a little bit of Raskolnikov in us. Places in our lives where we feel, hopefully to a lesser degree than Raskolnikov, superior to others. Some questions that this book sparked for me:
-What causes someone like Raskolnikov to feel superior as a person to others?
-Are there places in my life where I feel superior to others? How do I get rid of those areas?
-How do bad role models affect my behavior? (Rakolnikov used the example of Napoleon to justify himself many times throughout the book.)
-What effects do these types of role models have on those who are much younger than me? Are the effects different based on age or maturity?
-If I were somehow put in Raskolnikov's place and had just committed a murder, how would I handle myself? Would I confess quickly? If so, what would my motivation be for confessing?
-How come it is that we have to work our entire lives to become a better better, but you can undo all of your hard work with one bad decision in one second?
-Can you be forgiven of murder?
-The fact that Raskolnikov felt guilt, what does that mean? If you are truly a bad person, are you beyond feeling guilt, or does murder automatically make you a bad person?
Beyond the questions that the book sparked, for me, I think it is important to note how great of a writer Dostoevsky is. Not only is he able to write a compelling story, but he is able to create his characters with what seems like a deep reality. The way his characters interact with each other and the thoughts that they have; there isn't anything superficial about his writing at all.
It took me a while to get through the book, and I found it frustrating that Dostoevsky would refer to the same character by three different names all on the same page, but because I was reading it as an ebook, I was able to keep track of who was who more easily. Oh, also, I didn't know what a yellow card was until very late into the book. That would have helped a little. I'm sure there are plenty of other details that I missed, too. However, I don't think it detracted from my experience.
Lastly, I will say that if I read this book even a year ago, I don't think I would have liked it nearly as much. I wouldn't say that it's a light read. If you aren't really into asking yourself these types of questions, or thinking about human behavior and psychology (not that I know anything about those things, but I am interested in them), then this book might feel too long and drawn out. I think the real genius of the book is how Dostoevsky was able to really make you feel like you are Raskolnikov.
farnizzle'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
moira_gibbons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5