A review by blau_elmo
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

challenging emotional 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

4.25

The legendary thrilling tale by Dostoevsky.

A long, challenging read with many inane rambles (as expected from a Dostoevsky novel), with elements of philosophy, his usual disdain for Russian nihilism and apathy, all through a story involving (surprise) the titular crime, one of pettiness and simple anger.

The way Raskolnikov went from trying to avoid the topic, to trying to justify how only the most dignified men could get away with crime (and that it was honourable to do so), to finding comfort and redemption in Sonya, to being led astray by Svidrigailov's hedonism, the twists and turns combined with Dostoevsky's dark humour was thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking at the same time.

Still, a huge challenge to get through due to its sheer volume of text.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings