A review by solliereads
Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

This book took me almost a full year to read; I had to take breaks at some points to focus on my reading goal for 2022, and my focus gradually shifted away from it. Nonetheless, I'm extremely happy that I found the time to finish it. It stands apart as a Russian classic, and an absolute must-read - I found myself having to put the book down at many points during my reading, just to reflect on both the text and the philosophical ideas it presented. Dostoevsky's portrayal of a complicated and tortured genius, coming to terms with the grave crime that he has committed, is honestly just brilliant and it was interesting to read something from the perspective of a man who theorises that there are those in the world who intrinsically have the right to commit murder, and that he may be one of those people. I took an interest in classic Russian literature last year, and coming back to this novel has certainly sparked that interest for me. I look forward to reading some more of his work in the future.
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