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A review by jadejoro
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Quite easily the worst book I've ever read, and I was an English major.
The premise of the novel is simple -- Raskolnikov, our protagonist, sets out to test whether he is one of the chosen few society deems as "above morality", one who can commit grave sins and still be forgiven or, possibly, even praised for their practical approach to making improvements to and for "humanity." It's not an original thought, but to Raskolnikov, who seems to have less self-awareness than a newborn, the only way he can ascertain whether he is such a person is to commit murder.
The murder itself is one of the only entertaining portions of the story, and is almost entirely responsible for the one star I'm giving the book. Dostoyevsky does an excellent job depicting the panic and irrationality Raskolnikov feels as his meticulously planned murder spirals into an accidental double homicide. But to anyone with any exposure to history, philosophy, ethics, or even religion Raskolnikov's question is immediately answered. He is not one of the chosen.
Honestly, this could've been answered before the murder with a few minutes of self-reflection over a pint of beer, but instead Raskolnikov commits his murders, then drags us torturously along for pages upon pages of monologues. Internal monologues, monologue to friends, monologues to family, monologues from friends and family! After the murder all the action in Crime and Punishment consists of talking, walking, and walking while talking. Additional plots are thrown in involving more murder, rape, suicide, and poverty; seemingly everyone Raskolnikov knows is suffering, victims of terrible choices both their own and of others. None of them, however, lack the words to describe their misery.
I don't know if my translation choice or simple misogyny is to blame, but the women especially seem to be fountains of useless, pointless words. Our protagonist seems to view them almost entirely as means to an end, belittling or ignoring their plights unless he can spin them to his advantage in his game of not being caught for the murders. Raskolnikov truly cares for no one but himself, so between his empathy and the women's suffering, it seems the only way to get through the story is to dull all emotions within yourself.
Twisted in among all the side stories of Russian misery is, for me, what ruins the book. After reading page after page of Raskolnikov's ruminations on how to avoid facing punishment (both internal and external) for his crimes, we find out that practically every character in the story already knows (or at least believes) he is the murderer. This includes the main detective investigating the murders! But instead of Raskolnikov facing justice, he is protected. Every other character, including the detective, tries to guide Raskolnikov on what steps he can take to lessen his punishment. Raskolnikov argues for a few more chapter-long monologues, but eventually caves in the end, getting an incredibly light sentence to Siberia. To top it all off, three other characters move to Siberia with him and help him serve his sentence with minimal suffering.
In the interest of fairness, there are some mildly engaging themes and analogies mixed in with the agonizing monologue festival. "Who defines crime and morality", "Does intent matter more or less than result", and "To what level are we responsible for who and what we become" dance in and through each character's plot, but none of the questions asked or answers supplied feel new or original. Clearly I say this with the perspective of a modern audience, but I've held much more in depth explorations of these and similar questions over some Lunchables.
Too summarize, Crime and Punishment is the story of a man who thinks he's special. After brutally testing his theory on women who had done him no harm, the special man is protected from the punishment he deserves. Throw in three dozen monologues about moral questions you probably explored in middle school, and that's Dostoyevsky's work in a nutshell.
The premise of the novel is simple -- Raskolnikov, our protagonist, sets out to test whether he is one of the chosen few society deems as "above morality", one who can commit grave sins and still be forgiven or, possibly, even praised for their practical approach to making improvements to and for "humanity." It's not an original thought, but to Raskolnikov, who seems to have less self-awareness than a newborn, the only way he can ascertain whether he is such a person is to commit murder.
The murder itself is one of the only entertaining portions of the story, and is almost entirely responsible for the one star I'm giving the book. Dostoyevsky does an excellent job depicting the panic and irrationality Raskolnikov feels as his meticulously planned murder spirals into an accidental double homicide. But to anyone with any exposure to history, philosophy, ethics, or even religion Raskolnikov's question is immediately answered. He is not one of the chosen.
Honestly, this could've been answered before the murder with a few minutes of self-reflection over a pint of beer, but instead Raskolnikov commits his murders, then drags us torturously along for pages upon pages of monologues. Internal monologues, monologue to friends, monologues to family, monologues from friends and family! After the murder all the action in Crime and Punishment consists of talking, walking, and walking while talking. Additional plots are thrown in involving more murder, rape, suicide, and poverty; seemingly everyone Raskolnikov knows is suffering, victims of terrible choices both their own and of others. None of them, however, lack the words to describe their misery.
I don't know if my translation choice or simple misogyny is to blame, but the women especially seem to be fountains of useless, pointless words. Our protagonist seems to view them almost entirely as means to an end, belittling or ignoring their plights unless he can spin them to his advantage in his game of not being caught for the murders. Raskolnikov truly cares for no one but himself, so between his empathy and the women's suffering, it seems the only way to get through the story is to dull all emotions within yourself.
Twisted in among all the side stories of Russian misery is, for me, what ruins the book. After reading page after page of Raskolnikov's ruminations on how to avoid facing punishment (both internal and external) for his crimes, we find out that practically every character in the story already knows (or at least believes) he is the murderer. This includes the main detective investigating the murders! But instead of Raskolnikov facing justice, he is protected. Every other character, including the detective, tries to guide Raskolnikov on what steps he can take to lessen his punishment. Raskolnikov argues for a few more chapter-long monologues, but eventually caves in the end, getting an incredibly light sentence to Siberia. To top it all off, three other characters move to Siberia with him and help him serve his sentence with minimal suffering.
In the interest of fairness, there are some mildly engaging themes and analogies mixed in with the agonizing monologue festival. "Who defines crime and morality", "Does intent matter more or less than result", and "To what level are we responsible for who and what we become" dance in and through each character's plot, but none of the questions asked or answers supplied feel new or original. Clearly I say this with the perspective of a modern audience, but I've held much more in depth explorations of these and similar questions over some Lunchables.
Too summarize, Crime and Punishment is the story of a man who thinks he's special. After brutally testing his theory on women who had done him no harm, the special man is protected from the punishment he deserves. Throw in three dozen monologues about moral questions you probably explored in middle school, and that's Dostoyevsky's work in a nutshell.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Murder
Moderate: Rape