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Summary: Perhaps we are not at all who we think we are...
Review: Amazing, heart-wrenching, and thouroughly a novel which explores the extent to which the mind can be twisted. The young student Raskolnikov is an insane mixture of hero and villain, brought down by his own brilliance and his, as it were, character flaw. This novel is the epitomy of superiority versus the inevitable, unchangable cycles of life. His theories are to be reckoned with; however, they can only remain theories, as he later learns, for no human has the capabilities to truly look past his conscious, if there is one present. That is the hero. The villain in Raskolnikov is really only his flawed concept of himself, of his deranged confusion of himself and Napoleon, of a great deed and an extremely obsolete attempt at overcoming human boundaries. Much like Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, Dostoevsky explores a depth of the human mind which he himself quite possibly cannot fully comprehend. It's worth the time to read this novel, for you soon become fully immersed in the twisted logic of such a simple, yet so very complicated story.
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Summary: The Best book I have read
Review: Definitely, this is the best book I have read so far. It is an excellent psychological analysis of the human being. If you have not read this book. Buy it, it's worth the money and time
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Summary: A Supremely Political Novel
Review: One should probably read this great novel TWICE to catch all the nuances. Like his other major works, this masterpiece by Dostoevsky drives home two central, inter-related themes: (a) that ideas (and ideology) have consequences; and (b) that these can be deadlier than any other force on earth. For sheer depth and profundity, probably nothing can match the parable of The Grand Inquisitor, in THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV, but there's one line in C&P that immediately struck me as one of the greatest single sentences in all the world's literature, quintessentially pregnant with meaning. The detective, Porfiry Petrovich, who knows that Raskolnikov is the murderer, doesn't arrest him, playing a sort of cat-and-mouse game. Porfiry rightly suspects that this was a political (ideological) crime, not a typical one, and knows that his triumph would be much greater if he forces Raskolnikov to ADMIT not just the error of his act, but the error of his thinking. This sentence varies considerably from translation to translation, but basically it is (Porfiry to Raskolnikov): "You know, it's just as well you only killed the old woman. Because if you'd invented another THEORY, that would have been a thousand times MORE hideous." The events of our century have well borne out this prophecy. The other superb part of this novel is when Raskolnikov's friend Razmuihin is shocked to hear that Raskolnikov's journal article had suggested that "superior" men, like Napoleon, create their own moral codes and are not bound by traditional ones. (Woody Allen's film BULLETS OVER BROADWAY also provided a good satire of this ominous idea: an artist "creates his own moral universe." And, as in C&P, this led to a killing.) What shocks Razmuihin the most is that wanton killing and terror could be justified PRECISELY IN THE NAME OF MORALITY. Have we not seen enough of this already, in its most terrible aspects? The point is: such theories are still boiling in the pot, and we may not have heard the last of them.
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Summary: The most complete work of all times
Review: I have read all the books that Dostojevski wrote and I really do love them all. But Crime and Punishment will always be my first love. Raskolnikov is the demon and the archangel incarnated and his conversations with the police officer are a display of a total mastermind. The funny thing about this book is that it sharpens your thoughts and reflexions. When I had read the book, my mental world grew and I started to think in Raskolnikovs manner (I didn't kill anyone though).
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Summary: Truly a classic
Review: This book could never be too long. With each page comes more emotion and more drama. The mind of Dostoevsky, with each beautiful flowing line, is injected into the readers psyche. Don't be intimidated, this is a great read.
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Summary: Brilliant
Review: Crime and Punishment is simply one of the greatest novels ever written, and this excellent translation does justice to Dostoevsky's brilliance.
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Summary: Quintessential Russian Art
Review: I have read this novel three times, the last upon my return from St. Petersburg, Russia where I was able to trace the steps of Raskonikov, the novel's main protagonist. Each time it has captivated me even more, the subtlety, the Russian nuances, the statement, all uniquely Russian. Dostoyevsky was a product of his times, his culture, and his beloved city, not to be compared to other European authors of his era because Russia and it's artists were like no others in the world, the history completely seperate from much which is considered European. His prose is timeless. To learn of the Russia of today read its authors of yesterday.
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Summary: A must have for any russian lit fan
Review: Dostoevsky is one of literature's most vivid writers and C&P is one of his best examinations on the individual conscience. Alex Jennings, a brilliant stage actor whom I had the pleasure of watching in the RSC's Hamlet, does a magnificent job of manipulating the characters and the voices. The reading is very believable and utterly entrancing. You won't be able to turn this off. I'm a 17 year old senior in high school and if I can find brilliance in this, anyone can. Enjoy. I highly recommend this audiobook.
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Summary: Exceptionally Dull and Boring
Review: Dosotoevsky wrote an exceptionally dull and unbelievably boring book here. At 400+ pages it didn't flow like most great books. Do you really need to include a six page letter from his mother that had no relevance? No. It was unbelievably dry. I would not recommend this book to anybody.
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Summary: diferent way of living in a totaly diferent zone!
Review: well, I think this book, although look's very intimadating, is a very good and interesing one because it shows us a diferent way of living in someones minde and exploring he's seroundings. The book allows us to share very trubleing situation in one's life and dealing with it's tought along with trying to figure out things with him about everything and everyone. It's a briliant book ! thums-up. It's worth the time.
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