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A review by midwifereading
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
I have now read at least three Russian classics: Anna Karenina, War & Peace, and now Crime & Punishment. Of the three, I think the latter is my favorite.
Opening with a bloody murder is a bold move, and watching the murderer struggle on the brink of madness for however many pages (a lot) was quite the journey.
My favorite characters where the two young women, Dunya and Sonya, along with Razumikhin (the murderer's BFF). They reflect all that is good in the world, while still carrying human flaws.
The main character (and murderer), Raskolnikov, was complex and interesting, and entirely unlikeable. And frankly, his "punishment" was pretty unsatisfying, and the ending was far softer than I thought it would be.
I did listen on audio to the unabridged version, and the narrator was amazing.
Opening with a bloody murder is a bold move, and watching the murderer struggle on the brink of madness for however many pages (a lot) was quite the journey.
My favorite characters where the two young women, Dunya and Sonya, along with Razumikhin (the murderer's BFF). They reflect all that is good in the world, while still carrying human flaws.
The main character (and murderer), Raskolnikov, was complex and interesting, and entirely unlikeable. And frankly, his "punishment" was pretty unsatisfying, and the ending was far softer than I thought it would be.
I did listen on audio to the unabridged version, and the narrator was amazing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence