Rating: Summary: Wow! Review: An excellent novel. Dostoevesky's in-depth characterazation and psycological anaylasis are astounding. Raskolnikov is one of the greatest characters in all literature. It exceeded my expectations.
Rating: Summary: Crime and Punishment is delves into the mind of a criminal Review: This book is in my opinion a masterpiece. It explores the mind of a killer in a superb fashion. No other book has the depth of understanding guilt in a human.
Rating: Summary: Required reading Review: This is one of those books that should be read by every literate adult. Not because of the literary stature of the author, nor because of the country and culture in which it was written - simply because it is the type of book that once read is always remembered. I first read it almost twenty years ago and I still think about it from time to time.
Rating: Summary: Powerful combination of religion and psychology Review: Rodian Romanovitch Raskolnikov is a poverty-stricken ex-student who regards himself as an extraordinary man that is capable and responsible for the "superman" format social changes. He declares his intention early enough in the novel by committing a double murder of a pawnbroker and her sister, thus readers begin to rationalize Raskolnikov's way of thinking, of reasoning (which may appeal to many, and disgust others). He ultimately believes the extraordinance Napoleon possessed revived within him, another who dares to differ. At the end, Raskolnikov's rational and humane side intertwines with his renewed contact with the world through his love for Sonya, his reverence for Porfiry, and last, his convict life in Siberia. Of course long before he is justified by a punishment, Raskolnikov's conscientious burden is relieved by admitting to his crime.
Rating: Summary: What is so great about this? Review: I have failed to see what so many people see in this book. But those who do see, have failed to explain to me what is to be seen in it. (See?) I found "C&P" to be awfully dull. Tolstoy is a better writer, in my humble opinion.
Rating: Summary: a mesmerizing novel, perhaps the best ever Review: absolutely gripping. a page turner from the master story teller. the cunning, introspective, sociopathic raskolnikov is one of literatures most memorable characters. on the very short list of the greatest novels. i could actually feel my heart beating during certain segments of this masterful, wonderful psychodrama. better than the brothers karamazov, with a similar theme.
Rating: Summary: An incredible novel I will never forget Review: I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started to read this novel for high school English class, but I certainly was not expecting it to be the most fascinating, absorbing, suspenseful, powerful, and moving novel I have ever read in my life thus far. From the very first page I was unable to put it down. On the most basic level, Crime and Punishment is just a really good read! There are no boring parts...I was surprised when I found the long philosophical sections to be actually as suspenseful and interesting as any other part of the novel. Raskolnikov is one of the greatest characters I have ever encountered in a novel. Despite his horrible deeds I found him to be incredibly human and sympathetic and I was quite enraptured with him. The other characters are also fully drawn and interesting. The philosophical implications of the book are enormous and one can ponder them for a very long time. The epilogue is the only disappointing part of the book. The power of this extraordinary novel still haunts me and always will.
Rating: Summary: a very useful book however not the best one i've ever read Review: Crime and punishment is a book in which Dostoyevski wanted to show people how disastrous such popular in western Europe rational philosopies professed by e.g. John Steward Mill, Herbert Spencer or Friedrich Hegel are. Rodion Raskolnikov is a young, intelligent Russian student and as most of Russian young guys he is an atheist (his name derives from Russian word 'raskol' which means more or less rebel). He thinks religion is useless and horrible situation in Russia only cofirms him in his conviction. In accordance to his theory, which divided people into worse and better he decides to commit a crime. After the crime Rodion becames ill - he's delirious, he raves but the only thing he regrets is that the crime didn't show that he is one of the 'better' people. As the book progresses Rodion is getting more and more obsessed. Fortunately he meets Sonia, a very religious girl which became a prostitute in order to earn money for her family. She is a completely different person than Rodion, which starts to suspect that he's theory wasn't right. Although he pleads guilty he still thinks he did the right thing commiting a crime. Only when he finally saw that Sonia's love towards him is true he redeems. The book shows a lot of true and false moral values. It's also a great guide through Russia in 19th century. And Dostoyevski was the one that gave rise to theories that e.g. Nietsche used; he also was the first one who noticed the great role that dreams and obsession play in our life. And although if it's sometimes quite boring it's undoubtedly worth reading.
Rating: Summary: A wonderful book Review: I recently finished this book, and I must say it was one of the best books I have ever read. As a fourteen year old high school student, I was constantly told that Crime and Punishment would be too difficult and too boring for me. They were so wrong. From Raskolnikov's first thoughts about murder, to his slow descent into madness, the book was impossible to put down.I recomend Crime and Punishment to everyone, it's intelligent and enjoyable. A wonderful book.
Rating: Summary: Three stars for a Third-Rate Classic Review: Crime and Punishment, as a work of interpretive fiction, contains excellent writing, attention to detail, character development, and theme. That said, my review remains only mildly approbational, for the reasons which I shall enumerate forthwith. Hopelessly flaccid, the work reads more like an enervated documentary or stereo instructions than a fictional examination of mental disturbance. Furthermore, the works lacks the virtue of subtlety; i.e., does the reader have to be informed in the conclusion in the most direct and blatant manner possible of one of the author's principle ideas, revealed thoroughly in the rest of the novel. One of the most disappointing features of the novel is its lack of visual artisty or profundity. As an alleged epitome of 19th-century literature, it lacks every endearing facet of the period. The poetic majesty of Romanticism, not here. The profound significance and introspection of anti-transcendentalism, no vacancy in the pages of this novel. How about sweeping social commentary of novels of the incipient century (A Tale of Two Cities or Howards End), sorry, but that must be on back order. Much richer prose can be read in the writings of Hawthorne, Melville, and Wilde. Hawthorne's symbolism and imagery (a word Dostoyevsky must not know) detail his works with something akin to aesthetic decadence. Melville relishes in the epic and profound mysteries of existence, imparting his philosophy to the reader in a superlatively engaging fashion. Wilde's sardonic tone in The Picture of Dorian Gray and his intimated wry amusement with his protagonist works far better than Dostoyevsky's harassment of the reader with his psychotic protagonist. In short, the work is a dismal representative of classical literature. Independently, however, it has merit, but not in the context of a classic. It demeans the classical genre almost as badly as the superficial novel To Kill A Mockingbird does. To conclude, it succeeds in conveying its message to the reader, but little else.
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