14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent preparation for understanding Roskolnikov's crime, May 5, 2001
This review is from: Crime and Punishment (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)
James L. Roberts' Cliffs Notes for Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" begins with a brief look at the Life and Background of the Author, which is sufficient to allow teachers/readers of the novel to recognize some key parallels between fact and fiction. The Cast of Characters list includes a "note on pronunciation" that will be useful. Following a Plot Summary, Roberts provides a look at the general Structure of the novel, and I appreciate that he wants us to being thinking about this BEFORE reading "Crime and Punishment." He also sets up the general roles of the main characters and the result is that even if you do not read the Summary/Commentary section, Roberts gives you more than enough to think about at this point to enhance your reading of the novel.
The Summary/Commentary section breaks the novel down by chapters and Roberts uses A-B-C notations to distinguish specific lines of analysis; I consider such signposting useful to students. As always, the best way to use these commentaries is to read them after the corresponding parts of the novel, rather than doing them all at once after (or before...) doing the reading. Roberts them explores the Extraordinary Man Theories of Hegel, Nietzsche and Raskolnikov in a short essay section students will certainly find provocative. The Character Review looks as Raskolnikov, Sonia, Svidrigailov, and Petrovitch while under Motifs he examines Confession, being "All Alone," the Square Yard of Space, Suffering and Fresh Air.
This is one of the better little yellow books with the black stripes, with its major strength being that Roberts provides his best analysis outside of the Summary/Commentary section. He also takes the time to develop his case on Structure, Characters and Motifs (not all of these books do). But above all, Roberts sets up the novel so that going into "Crime and Punishment" students are well prepared to deal with the major elements.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Helpful in Understanding a Complex Book, February 23, 2003
This review is from: Crime and Punishment (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)
"Crime and Punishment" for a high school or college not enamored with Russian literature can be intimidating. This Cliffs Notes volume helps clear up the seemingly muddy waters.
While not all Cliffs Notes are worth buying, in this case, it can enhance and encourage the reading process. They explain the many characters in two sections.
The first is not unlike what introduces many playbills. For example, for Sonia, it says "Sofya's nickname." Maybe that it is common in Russia, but it would have thrown me for a loop. For Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov, it says, "A poverty-stricken student who conceives a theory of the superman or extraordinary man as a justification or rationalization for his crime."
The second guide explains in a page or two the context and major concerns of only a few characters.
Because they have Russian names unfamiliar to most of us in the United States, their little guide will be handy to keep open as you read the actual book.
The chapter synopsis is also useful for teachers who are overwhelmed with responsibilities. I have used it for this reason with a private student. I had not read the work and needed to be up to speed quickly. The synopsis put the book in context, making expectation available to me as I read. This helped me know what was worth focusing on in our all-to-brief look at this classic.
Other sections explain motifs and arguments of Hegel and Nietzsche regarding the superman ideas presented. Lacking is a section on biblical references, which, for students without much biblical knowledge, will limit their appreciation of the depth of "Crime and Punishment." Judith Gunn's "Dostoyesky: Dreamer and Prophet" is a good follow-up for the student looking to understand Dostoyesky religious perspective and Russian nationalism.
I fully recommend "Cliffs Notes Crime and Punishment" by James L. Roberts.
Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Helpful but could offer more, February 29, 2008
This review is from: Crime and Punishment (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)
I read this the day before my mid-term in a college Literature course where we had read "Crime and Punishment." I had read the novel (the novel is amazing! I love it so!) before but wanted a quick review of the order of events and to be certain as to the names of the minor characters. And this helped in that and I was able to read it in one sitting.
But while flipping through the back I saw some of the "review" questions and what-not. They were quite sad. I think that here they could improve quite a bit.
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