Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Crimen y castigo by Fyodor Dostoevsky

86 reviews

olly_gp24's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

I'd wouldn't recommend this book to a beginner. I used a dictionary app to help me understand what was going on but nevertheless, enjoyed it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

thomasina's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment

taqi_hamoda's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

If you think that you are a morally driven person, I recommend you read this novel. It showcases how difficult and convoluted life can be. It left me speechless, questioning who am I as a person.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

violetaalseide'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Mi crimen fue tener curiosidad y mi castigo leerme este tocho.

¿Una de las mejores novelas de la historia? Sin duda. ¿Qué ha sido un mareo? Lo ha sido. 

Conocemos a Raskólnikov, un joven que, debido a su extrema pobreza y su orgullo, se vio obligado a dejar sus estudios de Derecho, empeñar sus pocos bienes y malvivir en la cochambre. La noticia que de su hermana Dunia se ha prometido sin amor con un hombre adinerado (más buscando el bien de la familia que el suyo propio) hace que finalmente Rakólnikov se decida a matar a una usurera para robarle. Idea un plan sin fisuras, pero su mala salud, tanto física como mental, y el terror a ser descubiertos le empezarán a jugar malas pasadas.

Catalogada generalmente como novela psicológica, filosófica e incluso policíaca, cumple bastante bien con estas definiciones. Dostoyevski hace constantes análisis sobre el bien y el mal, la naturaleza humana y la posibilidad de redención,  a la vez que sus personajes juegan continuamente al gato y al ratón, con la verdad rozándoles las narices, pero sin encontrar prueba materiales o sin querer afrontar la verdad. 

Yo añadiría que es una novela de gestiones. Jamás vi a tanta gente ir de tantos lados sin parar para hacer una cosa, cambiar de idea e ir a hacer otra y pensarlo mejor más tarde. Eso y miles de personajes, todos muy rusos, con sus nombres de rusos, donde a cada uno se lo llama como mínimo de tres formas distintas, y el hecho de que sea una novela de entregas y se cobrase al peso o por palabra escrita... pues no la hacen precisamente una lectura ligera. 

Podríamos extraer interesantes conclusiones, como la necesidad del arrepentimiento sincero y el trabajo duro para conseguir la redención, la arrogancia como el peor de los vicios o la insignificancia del ser humano. Yo me quedo con que, si vas a asesinar, no te duermas.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

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

green_meerkat's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Murder

debsiew76's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-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: Animal cruelty, Death, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Chronic illness and Suicide

maddalenacesco's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

impossible to be disappointed with this book. there's a crime and there's a punishment. what else could you be possibly expecting???

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol

hitmangirl27's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, and Antisemitism

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