Crime and Punishment (Abridged)

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Summary: Wonderful book that everybody should read!!!!!
Review: This is THE BEST book I've ever read. Dostoevsky is a genius, he describes the feelings and emotions of his characters in such way, it makes his readers actually go through what his characters are going through. I would recommend everyone to read this wonderfull book!!!

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Summary: Well Translated, My favorite.
Review: When I picked up this book, I thought, "This is going to bite." The more I read, the more I began to enjoy the plot and cast of characters. It is a work of art in my mind and a must read for anyone who is interested in the mind and depression. The main character, Raskolnikov, is a depressed individual who beleives he can transend moral law. Dostoyevsky's use of symbols and character development flesh out the several themes of the book, namely the ideas of sacrifice and peity. It is my favorite book, and I beleive I am not alone. Pick this book up, you won't want to put it down

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Summary: Look into the soul of a man preoccupied with testing himself
Review: The book revolves around one character, Roskalnikov, a student bored with his mundane life. To test his metal he turns to a life of questions. The questions are not of the universe or a god, but rather can he control his mind enough to commit murder and walk away mentally unscathed. The blood is shed somewhat easily. But, from the time he does the horrific deed until the last page is turned, Roskalnikov is deafened by the voices of his own mind. The character is kempt unslovenly and talks with no one. His friends are rejected along with his own family. All this is in the name of self-test, guilt, and guile. While the pages may turn slow at parts, as do the typical Russian novel, you will be enraptured by the thought process of Roskalnikov. His fears, visions, hopes and dreams become your own. If you can stand the sheer monotony of a volume of emotion, you will read a truly classic novel.

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Summary: Incredibly powerful, perfect for college-age males
Review: The story of Raskolnikov is one of the most suspenseful in all of fiction. Murder, deception, lust, political activism- you name it, it's in here. To heighten the fear of life in prison or even execution, Raskolnikov is only in his early 20s, making it easy for a large, impressionable part of the population to identify with him. I would have no problem reading this book multiple times

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Summary: Pure intellectual torture...
Review: "Crime and Punishment" is a painful, but worthwhile read, as it explores the mind of the kind-hearted Raskolnikov and his psychological journey to hell amidst poverty and corruption. Somehow, Dostoyevsky's magical ability to play with words forces the reader to like Raskolnikov and to attempt to justify his evil actions. Suspenseful and exhausting, the reader will find Raskolnikov's sins and redemption to be overwhelming and awe-inspiring in this must-read-classic

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Summary: Dostoyevsky's Philosophy of Religion, Intellect, and Guilt
Review: Fydor Dostoyevsky develops the Russian modern literary/ philosophy theory in his early novel Crime and Punishment. The discourse of the novel runs through the moral implication of morality and society. The morality therefore becomes saturated with propaganda that the criminal is actaully a victim of magnified guilt. However, he and the prostitute represents oppressed members of a religiously stereotyping society. Therefore, Dostoyevsky blurs the truth of law and religion by staining the absolute evil of a moral guilt.

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Summary: You Think You've Got Problems?
Review: I spent a few long winters in a tiny mountain town in Colorado, where cabin fever is elevated to the level of a serious illness, pneumonia or Lyme disease. One winter some of us thought we'd make ourselves feel better by reading a novel set in a truly cold place -- we thought maybe reading about Russia would make Colorado seem almost tropical and that would be nice for everyone involved. So a group of us took turns reading Crime and Punishment aloud. C&P, as we began to call it, is so exciting that during our reading hours at least, we forgot about the snow and the ice that formed on the insides of our windows and the fact that we were all broke and so on. Raskolnikov, the main character, (he introduces himself to people by saying, "Raskolnikov, a former student," the way someone else might introduce himself as the president of a corporation) vividly embodies the pain, paranoia, solitude, boredom, and desperation that everyone feels at some point, on some level. Except Raskolnikov feels these things nagging at him all the time, on an intensive twenty-four hour basis, and he behaves very badly on his quest to become free of his demons. He kills an old lady and her sister (that's the Crime part), but the Punishment part of the book is what's truly compelling. Raskolnikov's journey through the depths of guilt, and his reach for redemption, make for some of the finest reading around. Use it to warm yourself on a chilly night or take it to the beach, but don't miss this heart-warming page-turner

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Summary: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Review: In the world in which we live, it is nearly impossible to not reach a time in our lives when we feel that there is nothing. A time when we feel that all we have done in our lives was in vain and now we do not know what to do with ourselves. In the novel Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, a man by the name of Roskolnikov goes through just this type of phase. Roskolnikov finds himself lost. He feels that his life is leading him nowhere and he wants to do something about it. The measures he takes to acquire a state of peace are what makes this novel a masterpiece. He goes to such an extreme as to take another person's life just so he can feel important once again. That is the crime. The punishment, though, is not as clear. Almost the entire novel is his punishment. Roskolnikov's punishment is the torture he undergoes as his mind slowly reaches insanity. The novel delves deep into the mind of Roskolnikov as he reaches out for others in the physical world to heal what he is feeling inside himself. From the moment he commits the crime he is struck with a feeling of regret, and this feeling grows until it reaches the point of complete take-over of his body and mind. As in every Russian text, it can get confusing at times because of the many names given to characters, and the questionable points in the interpretation of the novel. Looking beyond this, though, one can see the genius of it as the plot unravels and connections are made. The great appreciation I have for this book comes from the fact that it is simplicity at its finest. The world is a crazy place, and we must learn to cope with it as it comes along. Further reading: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky; War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy; Fathers and Sons by Turgenev

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Summary: Tortured Genius or Conceited Ego?
Review: Dostoevsky's mastery of character shines in the first pages of this lesser studied novel (written at the same time Tolstoy was writing War and Peace). An impoverished law student contemplates the morality of murdering an immoral person so that good can come from her accumulated wealth. Isn't endowed genius meant to destroy the mean and malicious? Dostoevsky graphically shows the internal struggle until actoin must be taken or insanity will ensue. An emotional roller coaster on both philosophical and ethical grounds filled with twists and keen ironies. Start this book when you have some time on your hands--you won't be putting it down for a long while. Also, for you television mystery fans, you will be enchanted with a Columbo-like character that shows up in the final chapters.

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Summary: Crime and Punishment
Review: There aren't very many books that I can't finish, and I am a bit embarassed to admit that this was one of them. After I got halfway through the book I determined that it was named Crime and Punishment for a reason. The Crime was him writing the book, and the Punishment was my reading it. Ugh.