Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Zbrodnia i kara

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

Content Warnings

teatree33's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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

This book is certainly something else. Dostoevsky's way of writing while ever long and often rambling is truly some of the most touching writing I've read in a long time. The philosophical reflections against humanity and the morals throughout the novel made the book increasingly intriguing and thought provoking especially when this is all tied to good old Raskolnikov perspective whose mind fell into denial and delusion regarding his crime.
Additionally, Dostoevsky's depiction of the horse nightmare, iykyk, was written so undeniably well that I struggled through almost that entire passage as if I was dreaming such a nightmare. He did this so well I was cringing so badly.
There are so many things I can say about this novel but I will spare you and simply say this.
It was sooooooo good!

Content Warnings

kathyovalle01's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

Content Warnings

velokei's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense 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

4.0

I finally finished this after a year 😭😭 I’m so happy that I managed it. I’m glad I had the experience of reading it but wow it was a lot and I don’t know if I’d recommend it

Content Warnings