Customer Reviews

Crime and Punishment (Signet Classics)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Crime and Puishment" is the story of an intellectual young man who decides to kill an old woman for purely philosophical reasons. It's about how this philosophy doesn't hold up once he actually goes through with the murder, and about the horrible physical and psychologial effects that commiting such a violent crime has on the young man's mind.
The book does an excellent job of getting the reader inside the main character's head, and as you read you'll find yourself rooting for him, for this murderer who just killed two people. It's unbearably suspenseful at times.
The book examines crime, morality, repentance, and the theory that maybe there are people who can commit crimes without the crimes being wrong as long as those people are mentally strong enough--people like Napoleon.
The book's characters are excellently drawn, and the story is much more focused and directed and streamlined than "The Brothers Karamazov" or "The Idiot."
I've read this book multiple times, and every time I've found something new in it. Like many of Dostoyevsky's books, it's like an entire world that can never be completely explored--and it's a world worth exploring.

At first glance, this story may appear relatively uncomplicated. A criminal deals with the aftermath of a pre-meditated, double-homicide, which he committed. The protagonist, Raskolnikov, subsequently deals with varied emotions and reactions, including justification, self-righteousness, denial and grief.

In reality, the story is *a description of mankind's struggle with his/her own sinful nature, and ultimate conversion to Christianity.

"Crime and Punishment" is also deeply philosophical. It will further develop your mind, and take your reasoning skills to the next level. You will not regret reading this novel.

*Paraphrased from notes within the book.

I love this book. Fyodor Dostoyevsky is an excellent writer, and his books are superb to any others. Through his style of writing, one may become submerged with this story and read it in one evening. I found this book to be very intriguing, and quite the follow-up to Dostoyevsky's THE IDIOT. I don't believe there are many books with such quality in the world today.

I was completely locked into this book and the plot not only thrilled but moved me! It almost took me through like an action packed movie... but it was more than that. It had such strong symbolism and style. What I loved most was how it was told in third person omniscent. By the way it showed and told every characters mood and reactions not to mention feelings just absolutely marveled me. And the paranoia that surrounded the main character, Raskolnikov how he lives with his murderous crime made me fall in love with this novel...

When I picked up Crime & Punishment, I thought, why not. I expected to have to stuggle to make it through to the end. Let's face it, it has a lot going against for the unknowing reader. It's by a Russian (a country not known for it's great authors), written in the late 19th century, has a social moral to it, and the title doesn't sound all that exciting. I was NOT expecting to absolutely love this book, but I was hooked from the beginning.

What I find so fascinating about this novel is that the main character has commited the worst possible crime a person can commit, yet the reader can't help but pull for him. I also wasn't expecting to find any humor, but it was found in some of the strangest places. From the funeral dinner of Sonia's father to Porfiry Petrovich's not so vailed accusations, Dostoevsky managed to find humor in some of the least humorous situations.

Although Dostoevsky is trying to make a point about society, he does it in a very entertaining way.