HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

Crime and Punishment (Vintage Classics) by…
Loading...

Crime and Punishment (Vintage Classics) (original 1866; edition 1993)

by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Author), Richard Pevear (Translator), Larissa Volokhonsky (Translator)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
43,95349238 (4.25)3 / 1011
My reading circle took two months to read and discuss this, and the first third of the book was heavy going for me. The obsessive thoughts of a neurotic can get frustrating to read. But the rest of the text really picked up speed. The characters and situations in St. Petersburg are exquisitely detailed, and it seems the city itself is the cause of much of the ills of the people we see. Poverty, the harsh power of the social strata, lack of privacy, and the desperate situation of women outside the upper classes is shown with unblinking honesty. It is not the action at the center of the book that is important - it is the swirl of characters around Raskolnikov and his family that is the story. ( )
  ffortsa | Mar 12, 2023 |
English (422)  Spanish (17)  Italian (10)  German (5)  Finnish (5)  French (4)  Dutch (4)  Catalan (3)  Danish (3)  Portuguese (Portugal) (2)  Portuguese (2)  Slovak (1)  Portuguese (Brazil) (1)  Czech (1)  Tagalog (1)  Swedish (1)  All languages (482)
Showing 1-25 of 422 (next | show all)
This review may contain spoilers, so read at your own risk. This is more of my thoughts during the book rather than a traditional review. Also, I started reading this as an ebook and, halfway through, I bought a physical copy.

Starting this book, I wasn't sure what to think or what I was going into, but I really wanted to read it because it's listed as a classic and most people have read it during school, something which I didn't have the option to do.

My biggest annoyance with this book is the fact that most of the time, full names are used each time a character appears or speaks rather than just their first or last name. Given the fact that it takes me ages just to sound out the names, to begin with, it's fairly annoying having to repeat both first and last names every time that character appears.

About halfway through this book, I came to a simple conclusion: all of the men in this story are nuts. They talk on for ages and most of it is just jumbled nonsense. They're worse than a couple of old maids gossiping at the salon lol

Razumihin, for whatever reason, quickly became my favorite character. There was just something about him that drew me in, but I had to seriously rethink this the moment he met Dounia. He turned into a total neckbeard and reading it made me feel soooo uncomfortable. He definitely lost a lot of respect from me for that scene, yeesh.

Now, as stated in the beginning, I started this book as an ebook on Google Play because it was free but I hate reading digital books. It's just not the same as holding a physical copy in your hands, plus headaches, ugh. I really enjoyed this book so far, so I bought a physical copy and they seem to be quite different. The PC has been edited to make more sense and, at the time, I was faced with a choice - continue on with the digital copy which I wasn't fond of, or pick up halfway through the PC and let the cards fall where they may. I suppose both are saying the exact same thing, just in different wording, yeah? I chose the PC.

I can't stand Peter. He's so damn self-righteous and full of himself. I think he might even believe the bullshit that comes out of his mouth. Dounia can do so much better than this douchebag. It kinda sucks because I was actually rooting for him when he first made his appearance, and totally not just because I love his damn name. Peter Petrovich - beautiful name, ugly-ass man. He's the type that always has to have the last word and won't let anything go, he just keeps coming back for more.

"He failed to understand how others could not but admire him for his heroism."

I won't lie. I literally laughed out loud when I read this damn line. The NERVE of this man! He has such a god complex. Even thinking about it now, I'm trying not to laugh.

Now, I'm not sure if there's anything wrong with Rodia, if there is any, but I get the feeling that maybe he's depressed or feeling anxious. Then again, he's under a lot of stress so maybe it's not a disorder and it's just stress. Either way, I feel for him. I really fell for this character.

And can I just mention how fucking suspicious Porfiry is?? I honestly can't tell if he's being genuine or playing cat-and-mouse with Rodia and it makes me uncomfortable. It feels like the Cheshire cat swatting at a mouse. I don't know if he suspects him or if he's just weird and I know it's stressing Rodia out because it's stressing ME out by reading it.

There's a couple times when the story shifts to focus on people other than Rodia and when it does, it becomes so boring for me to read, like a chore I'm forcing myself to do that I'd rather avoid. It's strange because I feel super invested when Rodia is the center focus but the side characters, at least the ones chosen, I have no love for and I just don't care about them. By the way, Katherine is a total fucking bitch and I can't stand her. She reminds of me of Mean Girls 50 Years Later. Those poor kids, man.

I actually didn't hate Svidrigailov when he first appeared. I thought he was quirky and interesting, but my god. When he started talking about his 16-year-old fiance, I felt so creeped out. The way he talked about her and knowing how young she is, it was so fucking creepy. Now I can't think about anything else when he appears. Plus, his name is used so many damn times I found myself repeating his name in my head like a random song that starts playing in your head for no reason. So thanks for that, I guess.

Aaaaand his creepiness just hit the fucking roof when he tried to take advantage of Dounia! What the fuck, man. I would have been so pissed if he hurt her. His only redeeming quality is the fact that he let her go without hurting her. I mean, yeah he's being super generous with his money which is praise-worthy but that doesn't forgive the shitty way he acts and treats people. He could give away a lifetime of fortune but he'd still be a fuckin' creep.

"He began to undress her."

Reading this line while following his storyline made me feel sick to my stomach and my mind immediately went to the worse (as it typically does). I had a feeling he was going to kill himself, but I wasn't sure if the book was going to take that turn or not, but it did. Damn.

When it came to Pulcheria's death, that really struck my heart hard, I almost started crying. She was so distraught without even knowing the full extent of the situation. Maybe it was worse because she didn't know and her mind was able to run wild. That poor woman, may she rest in peace ='(

So, the physical copy of this book came with an Afterword by Robin Feuer Miller and he asks a few questions that I'd like to try and answer.

Q) Is this the ending to the novel that you expected?

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect with the ending. If I had to guess, I would have leaned more toward the side that he would keep holding the secret as opposed to turning himself in.

Q) Did the narrative tone of the epilogue jar you?

I didn't even really notice a difference, to be honest. It just felt more... rushed and jumbled together but I guess that makes sense since the story was officially over. It was just a kind of TL;DR of what happened after he turned himself in.

Q) Now that you have finished this novel, do you know why Raskolnikov committed his crimes? Has he really repented of them?

I don't. I don't think anyone can know for sure without walking in his shoes. Personally, I feel like he committed the murder, not for money, but because he wanted to see if he could get away with it. I want to believe he repented because I really do love him, but the pessimist in me says he doesn't and probably never will. He doesn't regret his choice and he would probably do it again if he had the chance to rewind time.

Q) Has he changed much from the character that he was at the beginning? If so, at what point did this change occur?

I feel like he changed a couple of times. He seemed fairly normal and relaxed at the beginning, but he quickly started to spiral into madness with emotions running high and he became super irritable, like a grumpy old man. The smallest thing would set him off. But then, when the time came, he started to show a bit of who he really is deep down, I think - the soft, caring Rodia as he hugged his mother. I feel like this is his true self, a warm caring man that he hides heavily behind moodiness and by shoving people away. Then I feel like he became super cold during the Epilogue like he was trying to pretend he had no feelings. Finally, in the very last portion of the Epilogue, it's like he became a whole new person. Like, he WAS a new person, it was strange.

Q) Why did you first decide to read this particular novel? What kept you reading it?

I chose to read this book because 1, it was free and 2, it's a classic. Lots of people have mentioned/praised this book, or have been forced to read it in school. Since I never got that opportunity and it was free, I decided to give it a shot.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and got really attached to the main character and his story, though I don't think it hit me as hard as it was meant to because I'm not very smart lol Most of it went over my head in terms of politics and psychology. ( )
  AnnoyingTiger888 | Feb 19, 2024 |
jo-der ( )
  seralv04 | Feb 14, 2024 |
The complexity, yet simplicity of the act and it was done. Dostoevsky weaves together the world of Raskolnikov, a destitute former law student who wanders through the vibrant slum district of St. Petersburg, when news reaches him of his family's situation. This further degradation is unbearable, and through impulsive and passionate tension, the act ...is done.
But all actions have consequences, and ones that affect more than just Raskolnikov.
What follows next, is a grand dance with a host of characters, with each their own lives and thoughts entwined in this story as Porfiry Petrovich tries to uncover who could've committed such a heinous act, while Sofia Marmeladova (Sonya) tries to find her own path despite being the daughter of a drunkard and forced into prostitution.

Dostoevsky delivers a psychological read that showcases a variety of characters of both spectrums on the scale of morality, each unique in their characterizations with their own thoughts and goals, and all influenced no matter how large or small, by the act that Rodion Raskolnikov commits very early on in the novel. 4.5 stars out of 5 ( )
  NobleHouseLibrary | Jan 27, 2024 |
“To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s.”

I read this book without any anticipation yet it is one of my best read in 2022. I found the characters are all peculiar especially Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, which turns out have a strange idea about extraordinary men in life. And while we deal with his strange ideas, Dostoevsky used the other characters to depicts about crimes in general, such as when Porfiry Petrovitch believes the environment influences the crime and Razumihin is against it. Razumihin believes if society is normally functioning then human nature would never be recognized, and there will be no living soul left. Those moral compass of Raskolnikov was surely different than everyone around him, yet it’s possible to have that meaningless ideas. He believes that he did a good thing for the society by taking the pawnbroker’s life especially knowing the daughter of his acquintances, Marmeladov, chose to be a prostitute in order to fulfil their daily needs. His anger was boiled more when he knew his sister, Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikov, was about to get married in the sake of their family’s financial status.

“You can’t skip over nature by logic.”

The villain of this story is Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin, the man that was about to be married with Dounia in order to make their life better. But from the very first time our protagonist met him, they have an opposite ideas, not only in general but in a specific way such as the way they see Dounia. Raskolnikov wants only happiness for his sister, yet Luzhin have other idea. He believes that in marriage, the wife should owes money from the husband so they have no power. For derogating women, Luzhin pays his karma.

“To beg her tears again?”

Sonia Semyonovich Marmeladov is the heroine of this story. Comes from a shady background, lives in despair yet believes she still has some good deeds even though she’s a sinner, Dostoevsky put a quite charming and warming love story between Raskolnikov and Sonia. She accepts him for whoever he is, without any prejudice and pestering him about faith. ( )
  awwarma | Jan 24, 2024 |
Certainly the most dramatic novel ever written. I loved it. ( )
  MylesKesten | Jan 23, 2024 |
Absolutely genius. The best non-psychologist that delves into psychoanalytic type themes. Perhaps the greatest ever. Compelling and drew me in. Only issue is the names all sound so similar with interchangeable versions of key character names. ( )
  MichaelH85 | Jan 23, 2024 |
This is a review in general and of the Audible book as performed by Will Poulter. This novel is about an impoverished gentleman in 19thc St. Petersburg who commits an atrocious crime that torments his mind and drives him to his conclusion. There are several secondary characters and subplots but largely the story is told by the narrator and the main character.

The story didn't do much for me, though I can imagine it was shocking for its time. The reading by Poulter was fabulous though. He did so many different voices and kept them consistent so I did not get the characters confused though I can't pronounce many of their names. The story itself was kind of meandering and repetitive. I got very sick of Raskolnikov. ( )
  technodiabla | Dec 6, 2023 |
The crime (murder) happens early. The punishment (internal torment and struggle) takes up the rest of the story. Well paced and easier to read than expected. This is the first Dostoyevsky that have read and but it will not be my last. ( )
  everettroberts | Oct 20, 2023 |
Una novela muy psicológica, que se adentra en lo más profundo de la mente de un lamentable criminal. ( )
  InigoAngulo | Sep 2, 2023 |
3.5

A good story with good characters that tend to waffle on a bit. Less philosophising and anecdotal asides would have worked wonders for the pacing. ( )
  TheScribblingMan | Jul 29, 2023 |
Crime and Punishment tells the tale of an impoverished student living in St. Petersburg who decides to carry out a heinous murder in order to set himself back on the financial straight and narrow. What follows is a cat and mouse story as the protagonist, far from enjoying his ill gotten gains, instead wrestles with his own conscience and his future options whilst the net of the law closes further in on him.

It's an interesting read given it examines the many sides and stages of the murderer's thought pattern post the event. In some places the psychological ramblings by either the protagonist or other characters grew a little wearisome in their histrionics, but this is typical in a lot of the writing style of the late 19th century, when melodrama was hugely popular. For that reason I've dropped a star, as it's personally not my bag, but otherwise it was an enjoyable read.

On the basis of having read just one book apiece which is probably a most unfair comparison, I would plump for reading Tolstoy again much more quickly than Dostoyevsky, but still - I'm glad I read this. Had it been perhaps 200 pages shorter and omitted some of the pages of hysterical rambling it would have gained an extra half a star.

4 stars - a deserved place on the list of classics. ( )
  AlisonY | Jul 29, 2023 |
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Audio CD
Published 1991 by Audio Adventures (first published 1866)

“Life had stepped into the place of theory
and something quite different would work itself out in his mind.” (Epilogue)

Raskolnikov is born in Dostoevsky’s mind and he’ll become the image of the modern hero (or the post-modern hero).
Beyond the Romantic hero, where individual thoughts (forgetting faiths, religions, etc.) leads toward winning results;
Raskolnikov’s character is beyond the will of power, beyond the good and the evil, he is looking for life without theories.

Crime and Punishment’s alchemy: Dostoevsky gathers together his characters to create a scene where people, like chemical substances, react involving a transformation.

Crime and Punishment reflects the classical elements: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.
An idea: Raskolnikov is the image of the Earth; Sonia suggests Water; Razumihkin Air; and Crime Fire.

Crime working as Fire is an element that destroy, change, and it’s the root of a new life.

Razumihkin is the element who brings freshness to the other characters, and works like the air intruding in a stifling room.
Sonia suggests water , more heavy than air. Like Razumihkin Sonia brings cleanness, and works like the water of a river carrying Raskolnikov towards a new life (as before, without theories).
Raskolnikov reminds Earth: Dostoevsky was an adherent to the current ‘pocvennicestvo’ (a word coming from ‘pocva’, which means soil or earth). The main idea of pocvennicestvo was the bond between pocva / earth and Russian people; a bond with the return to popular principles rooted in the soil. ( )
  NewLibrary78 | Jul 22, 2023 |
I think this book is likely the most complete book I have read so far (which isn't exactly saying much as I am just now getting into reading), it feels like every character goes through something and all their arcs finish- the most compelling of course being Raskolnikov's. I admit that I had the wrong impression of what the book would be like for a long time now, thinking it would end with Raskolnikov's realisation of the life he took away, a rather redundant idea with nonetheless potential; but instead the ending found him finding the fallacy in his "theory" through the use of the "disease dream" he had of everyone thinking themselves above the law.

I think a world of difference between the book pre- and post epilogue. The epilogue has all the greatest moments, and leaves the story on a fitting note, that Raskolnikov has found something to live for even though he will need to wait seven years for it. As he puts it, in his current bliss that moment might as well be seven days (showing his change in tone and attitude for life). Great book in every way really ( )
  AskG | Jul 12, 2023 |
Fantastic book, really up my alley. I loved the psychological and philosophical ramblings. I loved any and all dialog between Raskolnikov and Porfiry, and Raskolnikov and Sonya. The cat and mouse game between Porfiry and Rodya was particularly compelling. Some of the monologues and dialogues could drag a bit at times, and this book took me a long time to get through (almost a month). As much as I enjoyed it, I have to say that I am glad I'm finished with it. Raskolnikov's dark psyche was getting to me after a bit and making me broody.

Favorite quote (Spoilers):

Can't you see that I must have known that if I'd already started asking myself the question, "Do I have a right to power?", then it already meant I didn't. Or that if I asked, "Is a human being a louse?", then man was certainly no louse for me, only for someone to whom the question never occurs, and who sets off without asking questions.. And if I'd already tormented myself for so many days wondering, "Would Napoleon have gone or wouldn't he?", then I obviously knew that I was no Napoleon.. I endured all the agony of this empty talk, Sonya, all of it, and now I just wanted to shake it off. I wanted to kill without casuistry, Sonya, to kill for myself, for myself alone! I didn't want to lie about it, not even to myself! It wasn't to help mother that I killed - nonsense! It wasn't to acquire funds and power that I killed, so as to make myself a benefactor of humanity. Nonsense! I just killed. I killed for myself, for myself alone; and whether I'd become anyone's benefactor or spend my entire lite as a spider, catching Everyone in my web and sucking out their vital juices, shouldn't have mattered to me one jot at that moment!... ( )
  Andjhostet | Jul 4, 2023 |
Raskolnikov's crime is a form of rebellion against the depraved society in which he lives: his nihilism is justified by his own ego. He compares himself to Napoleon more than once, making me wonder if Dostoevsky read Nietzsche's theories of der ubermensch.

The criminal's redemption at the feet of Sonya, former prostitute with a heart of gold, feels a little bit tacked on. ( )
  jonbrammer | Jul 1, 2023 |
I think that the great Russian novels are just not for me -- everyone raves about this book but although I didn't find it dull, I couldn't really get that interested in it either. Anthony Heard did a good job with the narration & voices, which did help me keep track of who was who. ( )
  leslie.98 | Jun 27, 2023 |
This is the first book I have ever failed to finish. I got to the end of part one and found the story so harrowing that I was dreading finding out what happened next. The main topic of of the book is handled with such unflinching honesty that it left me feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

My two stars reflects the impact the book had on me emotionally, Dostoevsky's writing is very vivid and it would not put me off reading other works by him. ( )
  Cotswoldreader | May 26, 2023 |
Perhaps the most ‘readable’ of Dostoevsky’s work, Crime and Punishment takes a look at duality and morality, the heart in conflict with itself. The characters can seem over the top to modern readers, and there are passages that seem long-winded; also a deus ex machina contrivance that strains credibility. Yet there is always a sense of an author truly trying to figure things out, who feels great compassion for his characters. The novel captures a moment in time, 19th century St. Petersburg in between the late Romantic and the Utilitarian, or rational egoist, as Dostoyevsky’s attitudes changed from his time with the Petrashevsky Circle to his post-prison rapprochement with Church and State. There is a central theme of suffering being the basis for happiness rather than a socialist or rationalist plan for living

The book can be surprisingly funny, artistic in its depiction of St. Petersburg light, simplistic especially in its female characters, and both maddening and endearing in equal measure. In its time it was a groundbreaking work in the exploration of psychological character. In the present, it remains an honest look at the abject misery and hopelessness of poverty, and by what means people seek to alleviate the pain of life. ( )
  saschenka | May 7, 2023 |
I had first tried to read this novel when I was at school. But I didn't have enough time to read it before the discussion so I just read a shortened version (so short, in fact, that I thought that Raskolnikov gets arrested right at the beginning of the story). And this time I was quite surprised by the plot.

There were a lot of events that were interesting for me and added to the understanding of Raskolnikov's motives. Nevertheless, I think his reflections could be much shorter because after some time they became repetitive. I think it was not a very difficult read for me because I listened to it and I'm quite familiar with Russian names so I didn't struggle with them. But the story is really poignant so I can't say that I wanted to come back to it every time. I didn't feel sympathy for the main character. The only person who I really cared for was Sonia and I didn't want her to be with Raskolnikov. He seems to be too egoistic and a self-centered person.

But overall I'm happy that I read this story as it's considered a classic and that was an interesting experience to get. ( )
  Diana_Hryniuk | Mar 22, 2023 |
My reading circle took two months to read and discuss this, and the first third of the book was heavy going for me. The obsessive thoughts of a neurotic can get frustrating to read. But the rest of the text really picked up speed. The characters and situations in St. Petersburg are exquisitely detailed, and it seems the city itself is the cause of much of the ills of the people we see. Poverty, the harsh power of the social strata, lack of privacy, and the desperate situation of women outside the upper classes is shown with unblinking honesty. It is not the action at the center of the book that is important - it is the swirl of characters around Raskolnikov and his family that is the story. ( )
  ffortsa | Mar 12, 2023 |
I loved it so much I can’t even explain, yes it starts off pretty slow with a lot of info but it feels like everything is connected, everything in the beginning comes back later which was so satisfying. I couldn’t put this book down, it totally lived up to my expectations. Most of characters were really diverse and it was interesting to follow their train of thought. Ofcourse this isn’t a book from a writer from the 21st century, so some things that I didn’t particularly like can definitely be written off to that, all in all really liked it and will read again. ( )
  Liesl. | Feb 25, 2023 |
As always, Dostoevsky's works are complex and appeal on many levels. So too with this classic. Nonetheless, the book was simply too long. While it had its moments of fantastic dialog and personalities, and some of the ethical issues are as pertinent today as then, there were too many characters and too much unnecessary language.

I'm happy I finally took the time to read this work but feel that the same impact could have been made in more concise book.

A recommended read yet in my opinion a somewhat overrated classic. ( )
  la2bkk | Jan 27, 2023 |
The tension just keeps building and building. ( )
  farrhon | Jan 22, 2023 |
Painfully long but interesting. ( )
  sunflowered13 | Jan 22, 2023 |
Dark and disturbing, but also interesting and insightful. A literary masterpiece. ( )
  jhellar | Jan 14, 2023 |
Showing 1-25 of 422 (next | show all)

Legacy Library: Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Fyodor Dostoyevsky has a Legacy Library. Legacy libraries are the personal libraries of famous readers, entered by LibraryThing members from the Legacy Libraries group.

See Fyodor Dostoyevsky's legacy profile.

See Fyodor Dostoyevsky's author page.

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (4.25)
0.5 9
1 114
1.5 11
2 251
2.5 60
3 913
3.5 194
4 2387
4.5 403
5 3844

Penguin Australia

2 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia.

Editions: 0451530063, 0140449132

Urban Romantics

An edition of this book was published by Urban Romantics.

» Publisher information page

Tantor Media

An edition of this book was published by Tantor Media.

» Publisher information page

Recorded Books

An edition of this book was published by Recorded Books.

» Publisher information page

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 203,226,394 books! | Top bar: Always visible