Rating: Summary: Conscience and Remorse: Can you get any better than this? Review: Rodion is an intellectual, and aware of it. He is surviving, and it does not seem fair: he's is giving to society more than he's taking away. But then: why that old witch, that is more like a menace to society, has the money, and exploits persons who needs it? Who desing the world like this? Who ordered this order? Can a single, drastic act change it all? Are we morally obliged to do it, if it's in our hands? And then, why do we suffer, if we did the right thing? Do we must fall in love with a prostitute or feel pity for her, but try to marry her all the same?SInk carefully into this book, because you'll find all the questions are there, but the answers will unveil in your mind as you jump over the words, that seems to have their own life. This book has a great virtue: it makes you think.
Rating: Summary: Highly over-rated "classic." Review: Dostoyevsky is highly over-rated. This book often falls into pits of pointlessness. There's an old in a bar, speaking to our "hero," and the old man goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, about nothing. That's bad writing. It seems this book was written by an insane person. Thoughts and ideas are all over the narrative, without any cohesion. It must have been written on various cocktail napkins, and newspapers, and sent to the publisher a week later, dragged in the mud by a horse.
Rating: Summary: Another Perfect Example of Art Imitating Life Review: Well, yes, D. did not kill anyone, but himself. In another tour de force, this compulsive player (he has a statue at the Baden Baden Casino) shows that, although all his tortured problems (no money, sickness) he grasped the meaning of life and the perfect way to expose it. Do we all want, at least one day, to be a Raskolkinov, take justice in our hands and avenge everything and everyone? But then, why the remorse? Guilt is more than just repentance: is knowing that you did not have another possibility, and acted in consequence. One of the books that formed the conscience of Man in the XX Century
Rating: Summary: Conscience, Guilt, and Punishment Review: Dostoevsky takes a look at a poor young man, a student whose morality is wrecked in squalid and stifling conditions. Raskolnikov, who is only 24 when the novel begins, cannot live as he wants to, so he is left to his own thoughts, to unhealthy and endless brooding. He begins to yearn for blood and rationalizes his primordial anger and hatred as some sort of premonition of greatness. And the means to achieving greatness are not alwasy good--after all, did Napoleon lose much sleep over the people who fell victim to his military campaigns? Raskolnikov decides to start with a robbery, but when things do not go according to plan, he commits two murders. In the end, his conscience turns against him, so that he hasn't a moment of peace. He cannot function normally because of his guilt and feels the need, well, almost the right... to be punished. The novel is a gripping look at a moral catastrophe and all its reprecussions, including guilt and punishment. This is a classic. I highly recommend this book.
Rating: Summary: Good Book Review: This is a good book. I read it for fun. Perhaps, aside from the storyline, the most significant aspect of Crime and Punishment is how it shows the horrible conditions of living in St. Petersburg of the 19th C. Understanding this, the conditions under which the characters live, is vital to understanding the novel. Fortunately, the novel does a very good job of demonstrating life for Raskolnikov and company. Other than that, others have covered the other point of this book. A final word- it is not terribly hard to read. I was 15 when I read it.
Rating: Summary: don't be intimidated; just read it! Review: I've lived some 40+ years successfully avoiding all the lengthy Russian novels because I feared they'd either put me to sleep, or generate headaches. Upon completing Crime and Punishment, given to me by a colleague, I'm really annoyed for depriving myself from enjoying such a literary classic. Crime and Punishment is, as you would expect, a long-ish and wordy novel. And the character's names, and nicknames, are confusing to me (a non-Russian). But the overall murder story is very absorbing, as are the tangential subplots. This is NOT a murder mystery; the reader knows who committed the crime central to the story. However its deep psychological analysis as to why the crime was committed and how it affects the criminal afterwards is extremely well done (without being preachy). Crime and Punishment, while somewhat cumbersome, is NOT a difficult read. I heartily recommend those who are fans of popular crime novels (eg, John Grisham novels) should "move up" and give it a try. It's a very rich read. ...and you'll be able to impress your friends on telling them you read it!
Rating: Summary: The story of Man Review: I am in love with Raskolnikov. Not the man himself, for I am aware that he is fictional. I am in love with the quality of the character. Dostoevsky has created a truly unique, interesting, fascinating, complex, morbid, rational, intelligent, idiotic, and esoteric character, that ranks up there with the best in all of literature. Even though his situation is on the edges of the extreme, he fully inhabits all those qualities that exist in man himself. Raskolnikov's hypothesis is an example of delicious specious reasoning: "If I am a brilliant man, then I am special and above the laws of societal morals and ethics, and therefore I shall have the right to kill without repercussions". And of course it is doomed to fail (I'm not giving anything away -- the book is after all called "Crime and *Punishment*"). And the way he fails is the most miraculous part. He can't live up to his own inner expectations, which only proves that he is not a brilliant/special man. Awesome! This book is so high on another level of writing (that combined with the grave disappointment I felt after reading his 'The Idiot') that I am scared to try my hand at other Dostoevsky novels. I mean, how could a man who has achieved this kind of perfection once ever hope to come close again? Probably not a logical summary, but who said human logic was infallible? Not Raskolnikov, I'll tell you that much.
Rating: Summary: my sides hurt. Review: Dostoyevsky is known for many things, particularly for developing the psycological dynamics of his central characters. This is both wonderful and interesting for the reader. But an over-looked and important Dostoyevskian element that is implemented through out "Crime and Punishment" is humor. This is a funny book- not a comedy by any stretch- but funny never the less. It's not a sardonic, dark humor but rather lively. The book is also a classic- so who are you to refuse?
Rating: Summary: It was kinda psycho Review: Hi everyone.....I need help I have a book report due and I need to know pages in the book. For part 1,2,3,4,5,6...please e-mail me roxy311_98@yahoo.com Thanks
Rating: Summary: crime and punishment Review: recommended reading: pursue a reading list of manuscripts read by Dostoevsky for ultimate benefit.
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