(Spoilers!!) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is perhaps one of the most praised books in the history. It is also the book that many turn away thinking that it is long and somewhat depressing.
All that is true. Honestly, you will either hate this book, love this book or to be unsure what to think of it for the rest of your life.
C&P is basically fascinating book with deep talented description of psychological drama. It is well-written, it has good structure and fascinating characters.
Personally, it took me about half year to read this book. The first 5 months I was struggling to get past the point where Raskolnikov goes to the bar. To make it clear, that happens somewhere in the first 10 pages. Afterwards, I remember that I just kept turning the pages thinking “No-no-no, don’t do that.Why? C’mon now…”
Fyodor…seriously, what’s with all this?
During the most of the book you are dealing with the inner turmoils of the characters, especially one of Raskolnikov. With him, you can ask yourself where the crime ends and where the punishment begins. Because it is one HUGE mind game. Raskolnikov is feeling awful about what he has done: murdered two old hags women with stolen axe (points to writer for using creative murder weapon) but apparently not guilty enough to turn himself in. Other important conflicts you will fgo trough will include questions like: why do girls always fall for bad guys? (classic one, huh?) or why didn’t attorney who had the evidence to bring Raskolnikov to justice not do it?
Surviving trough this, I would give this book 7/10. It is definitely worth reading! And it is definitely a book that you can brag about having read. Remember to congratulate yourself once you have finished it.
Your guide on How- To Read Crime and Punishment
1. When you start reading, read past the bar point before using bookmark.2. Don’t be prepared for happy endings. They are not common in classics.
3. Be prepared to face criminal madness, poverty, prostitution, love, history, lots of Russians and lots of psychology.
4. Don’t give up! If you have started reading, it is totally worth finishing. It takes a lot of digesting but it is rewarding.
5. Don’t wonder why all the women in the book are either saints or sinners.
6. In the end, don’t wonder too much about :”Why, Sonya? Why did you follow him to Siberia?” No really knows. We can only speculate.
Moreover, you can find the book for free in Project Gutenberg, which is perfect if you like to read books online or in e-form. In case you absolutely loved the book, you should definitely learn Russian to read it in original.