Rating: 
Summary: A book for those who like crime stories.
Review: Crime and Punishment is an interesting novel in which the psyche of a murderer is explored. The beginning of the book is a seesaw inside the murderer's, Raskolnikov, head, between whether or not to commit the crime. The supposed insanity of this leads Raskolnikov to the house where he kills the woman. After the murder, the guilt of the crime is eating at Raskolnikov and even makes him sick. Amongst all of this Raskolnikov has deal with his sister's engagement to a man he does not feel she should marry. The agony of his problems ends with his decisions at the end of the book.
This book at times is very slow, but is probably purposely written that way to show what Raskolnikov is going through. The time that is dwelt on a decision making process may bore the reader and may require a break. It strays away from the murder and gets a little into love and other everyday problems. Like most Russian novels there are numerous names that may confuse the reader. There are so many characters that some seem like they do not even need to be mentioned but everyone plays a role in this book. In order to keep track of everything that is going on pay close attention to names or the book may not make complete sense.
When it gets to the more interesting parts of the story the book shows its true colors. The reader then understands why he or she just read thirty pages of basically nothing but words. It becomes intensively descriptive, so much that it may be disturbing to some. But the descriptions and the boring parts play into the author's efforts to truly illustrate the mental process of a murderer. Raskolnikov's mind is thoroughly explored and the author seems to have the skill of putting the reader into his shoes. All in all the book gets really slow at times, but the good parts of book out weigh this and make it a pretty good book.
Rating: 
Summary: I must have missed something
Review: Hmm, I don't know, I must have missed something while reading this book because I really didn't get much out of it...I'm really disappointed considering how it's supposed to be such a great novel. It gets off to a good start; the first 100 pages were by far the best. It was interesting to study Raskolnikov as he planned and (poorly) executed his crime. But once the deed was done, the book became a mess of confusing characters, muddled philosophical discussions and unrealistic behavior.
When I say "confusing characters" I mean that literally; some of the characters were hard to tell apart and it didn't help that their Russian names all ran together (not to mention the fact that each character has like 4 nicknames). I frequently had to stop and ask myself "Wait, who's talking? And what role do they play in the story again?"
The characters were also confusing in the sense that I just didn't understand their motivations, or the motivations seemed contrived and unrealistic. Raskolnikov pretty much explains his motive by the end of the novel, and it's a fairly interesting motive, but it isn't explored in enough depth to be really fascinating. A lot of his actions throughout the novel seem completely unmotivated. People have said that he's such a "real human" character, but his main traits seem to be indecision, self-hatred and self-pity. Sure, real people act this way but it doesn't make me like them either.
SO, long story short, the middle section of the novel has some good scenes, like the cat-and-mouse conversations between Raskolnikov and Porfiry, but much of it was dull and hard to get through. I didn't care much for Sonya's character either; she didn't have much of a personality outside of her endless self-sacrifice.
The novel gets more interesting again towards the end. A new character becomes prominent, Svidrigaylov. He's pretty unscrupulous but at least he knows what he wants and you can understand what he's talking about. Several dramatic developments near the end of the novel got me turning the pages, but the ending was again a disappointment. [SPOILER: When I got to the sentence where "Dunya pulled a revolver out of her purse" or whatever, I burst out laughing. It seemed so out of place, yet it was one of the few times in the book where I was enthralled by the story.]
As I said, maybe I just missed something, or maybe as another reviewer suggested, it had something to do with the translation, but Crime and Punishment felt like a chore to read.
Rating: 
Summary: A must read
Review: I have read this book and I think its very good and a must read for everybody. It has everything, philosophy, character development, a rich language, and a very interesting story.
The writer explores the psychology of a criminal mind, his feeling, the way he thinks and how later he repents about the crime.
Raskolnikov a very poor law student away from school for financial reasons decides to commit a crime. Dostoyevsky does a very good job in developing his caracter. In the beggining Raskolnikov thinks that in the world are two kind of people. The ordinary people and the extraordinary. The latest are the kind of people that have the "right" to commit crimes in order to walk forward, grow in ther career or do something that is very good for the society, like Napoleon etc. The ordinary people dont have the right to commit crimes they are under the law. He thinks that commiting this crime will serve to the society, but later on as the story goes we see Raskolnikov change. This by several factors, his love for Sonia, his mother and Sister.
We see some other characters in the novels that aren't criminals like Luzhin but we dont have any sympathy for them.
In the end Raskolnikov change his mind, He starts to understand that he was not "Napoleon" or extraordinary and in order to be releaved and start a new life he needs to be "Punished".
Very good book I would suggest everybody to read it.
Rating:
Summary: A long book you wish were longer!
Review: I'll admit I had to read this for school but I ended up loving it in a way I'd never imagined! For its length, it's actually very fast moving, with most of the action/dialogue taking place within a few days. The characters are amazing and moved me to deep feelings of pity, understanding, hatred or concern. The imagery was also uniquely fascinating and will certainly remain with me for a long time to come. This book had an atmosphere that was almost tangible. Dostoyevsky and his host of characters with names a unpronounceable as his own have definitely made an impact on me. I heartily encourage you to give Crime and Punishment a trial of your own!
Rating:
Summary: Crime and Punishment
Review: "Crime and Punishment" was my introduction to Dostoevsky, and a pleasant introduction it was. This is a very brilliant work from a master storyteller, and I can't recommend it enough. Dostoevsky's use of psychology, philosophy, and detective work all come together to take this tale to a higher level, and beneath the madness and the ideology emerges a tale that is both dark and extremely enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Solid
Review: I don't really have much to say about this book other than the fact that it was "good." It's a classic and that says a lot about the nature of the writing, which most people try to avoid. It isn't nearly as hefty as people may think and the story is a great. It combines crime and madness with salvation and love, making it a true piece of literature worthy of such acclaim.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest single novel of all time!
Review: I tend to enjoy epic tales myself (lord of the rings, the dark tower, the chronicles of Thomas Covenant, etc.)--you know, something with a little meat on it. Usually, a single novel is just too short and leaves me wanting for more. Crime and Punishment, however, is a masterfully well plotted story that feels like an epic without wading through pages of superfluous content. It is heartfelt and alive, taking you on an emotional ride that will leave you questioning morality, passion and justice. You will never think of crime or punishment in the same way again.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest books I ever read
Review: You can debate the philosophical and spiritual implications of this book until the cows come home, but that leaves you with a tendency to neglect the amazing entertainment value of this exquisite novel.It manages to have the deep and powerful sweep of Dickens or Hugo, but without ever becoming dull or slowing its pace in the slightest. The dialogue is witty, sharp, emotionally powerful and very revealing of the characters' personality, and the characters...oh, the characters! You have the unequalled honest, warm charm and amazing wit of Razumikhin. You've got the fascinating loathsome Peter Luzhin, and that devious, pervasive, terrifying embodiment of retribution Porfiry Petrovich. You've got Luzhin's hilarious communist roommate, whose name is absurdly long and complex even by Russian standards, and the tragic alcoholic clerk Marmeladov. You've got poor, tragic, half-crazed Svidrigailov (my single favorite character in the entire book), the deep, pious, passionate prostitute Sonia...and of course, Raskolnikov himself, the quintessential human being. He's a bit comparable of Hugo's Valjean, except more flawed and far more realistic. The book is one of the very best I've ever been exposed to. For those of you afraid of getting into so heavy and powerful a novel, let me tell you that for something this deep and rewarding, it is an amazingly easy and gripping read. Don't be afraid...just get the book. You won't be disappointed.
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Summary: Russian Literature is difficult and rewarding
Review: Crime and Punishment is one of the best books ever written.
Rating:
Summary: A difficult read, but the author is so talented
Review: This book was very dark and dreary--realistic, but still, the darkness weighs on the reader. The scene with the mule who is beaten in the street nearly did me in. The author was so descriptive about this mule and the fury with which its owner beat him. I felt as though I were witnessing the scene right there in my bedroom and I wanted to jump up and cry, "Stop!!!" This book is very affective and engrossing. Don't expect to simply scan the page. This book requires all of you as you read. But it is truly a good book.
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