Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Crime And Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Richard Pevear, Larissa Volokhonsky, Michael R. Katz

14 reviews

clevermird's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

Installment number ten on my attempt to read the great classics of western literary canon, Crime and Punishment was my intro to the world of Russian literature. I recall saying as I began this one "wow, the first chapter in and I'm already depressed." 

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Antisemitism and Stalking

gkgkgk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Antisemitism, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Medical content, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury

sunlandic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Xenophobia, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, and Cultural appropriation

sunny_not's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• 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

Although it was quite complex and multilayered I felt that it could've been shorter. Since it was incredibly long it was not as impactful as I hoped. Also I thought that the ending was just weird. After so much darkness and hopelessness

all is resolved with the power of love? What was that? Also the misogyny was quite awful especially during the part before the confession scene

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail