Crime and Punishment: The Coulson Translation Backgrounds and Sources: Essays in Criticism (A Norton Critical Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is an excellent novel that delves into themes of crime, guilt, madness, and cosmic. It is not a hopeless tale, though. For Dostoevsky seems to say that our salvation lies in love and faith.

Rating:
Summary: Only a part of the puzzle...
Review: Yes, the book is excellent, but it seems that the reason why many people seem to (want to) read it is that they imagine it to be the key to the notorious "enigma" of the Russian soul. This is why Dostoyevsky is popular with the individual-obsessed West. Unfortunately, Dostoyevsky thus casts a shadow over many other very talented Russian writers of the 19th century, who also hold pieces of the "Russian soul" puzzle...and fortunately, there is much more to Russian literature and "soul" than Dostoyevsky's sentimental passion and psychological torment.

Rating:
Summary: Only a part of the puzzle...
Review: Yes, the book is excellent, but it seems that the reason why many people seem to (want to) read it is that they imagine it to be the key to the notorious "enigma" of the Russian soul. This is why Dostoyevsky is popular with the individual-obsessed West. Unfortunately, Dostoyevsky thus casts a shadow over many other very talented Russian writers of the 19th century, who also hold pieces of the "Russian soul" puzzle...and fortunately, there is much more to Russian literature and "soul" than Dostoyevsky's sentimental passion and psychological torment.