Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

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

29 reviews

elchivovivo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

It is hard to rate what one knows to be a tower of Literature. And I could not and would not attempt to compartmentalize the reading of the Book with the knowledge of its importance. 

Dostoievsky sits with the absolute greatest of the Letters, and his Novels stand on pedestals. The pedestal of a trophy. The pedestal of a monument.

On the contrary, the knowledge of its importance was the driving excitement behind it. By reading it I felt to be swimming in the River of History, and swimming along the greatest minds, allowing myself to be passed the same Fire. 

And it is Fire. One can feel the pages bursting through centuries of old form, as the thoughts of its characters are splattered into the pages like the splatter of an axe-murder and the crumbling of a thousand year dinasty, and the underground rumblings of a still far-off revolutions.

Reading the two Russians shakes the soul. What Tolstoy does in landscape  strokes, Dostoievsky does in VanGogh-like manic splatters of thought.

And it is a perfect and complete novel, in the sense that it is absolutely closed and tied down. It does not have moments, but its full force only arrives at the very last word. And it makes the body tremble.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, Stalking, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

andradrula's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

my fav book !

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Blood, Grief, and Deportation

Minor: Antisemitism

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The downward spiral of a poor student was relatable.  I enjoyed my time (mostly).

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

missmoth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal death and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Antisemitism

cherryfreckle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming and Gun violence

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

benteasm's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

idiotela123's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

THIS IS MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF ALL TIME (including Frankenstein). It may be a tough read at first, and all the character's names are difficult to grasp. But it captures the ideals of morality so well. It did send me into a bit of a slump, so I recommend to not read it unless you want to have an existential crisis and rethink your whole entire life. It's very dark and challenging to read, but impossible to put down. I must say Dostoyevsky did a very good job at this book.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

rhiannonsyme's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

nereanpi's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

toffishay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.0

What a meaty book. I am really in awe of how Dostoyevsky can maintain tension in a 560 page book! It is interesting how the structure of a book can really make or break it. If you are intimidated by the length, I would say take your time and let yourself enjoy it instead of feeling like you need to power through. I think that it was a smart choice to break the book into 6 parts, each of which have chapters, so you have natural breaks that serve the reading experience and the story. One drawback could be that because the book is so long, the back and forth that Raskolnikov goes through in his head can feel a little repetitive at times. But overall, I think it works well for establishing how conflicted he is as a character and how out of control he truly is as well. 

 Raskolnikov's descent is described in such a gripping way and although it is certainly commentary on the times that Dostoyevsky was writing in, I saw a lot of parallels to today. Raskolnikov is an angry young man who thinks he's so much better than everyone else and so much smarter. He thinks that he has a right to his crime and to the purpose that he thinks it will give him. He is living in a world of desolation and personal despair and lashes out at everyone around him. I couldn't help but think that with Raskolnikov's disdain for human life and desire to be better than those around him, that he would have been a mass shooter if he lived today. Seeking that notoriety and committing horrible acts in the process. 

There is also very well-written commentary about relationships between men and women. There are women trapped in horrible relationships with men who continue to treat them badly and bring them low. (Katerina) Women are pushed into making difficult choices, that honestly aren't even choices, as a result of their poverty and their love of their families (Sofya). Women do everything they can to support the men in their lives and are given little to nothing in return (Dunya and Pulkheria). And all of the women in the novel are at the whim and will of men, but the novel is extremely sympathetic to them and is, primarily, on their side.

Vanity and pride are themes that are shown through many of the characters. Vanity is a driver of Raskolnikov's crime. It drives Katerina to embarrass herself publicly, putting herself in a worse physical and financial situation at every turn. Porfriy, the inspector, is driven by pride, at least in part, to find the perpetrator of the titular crime. 

I was surprised by how much love and hope were themes of the book. It definitely addressed crime and punishment, depravity and isolation. But there are instances where people are saved by the love of those around them. Like, I closed the book and felt a little like there is hope even when you are at your lowest. That it is never too late to look yourself honestly in the face and commit to change. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Vomit, Antisemitism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, and Pandemic/Epidemic