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Summary: Crime and Punishment
Review: Review of Crime and Punishment By a Colorado reader A pale - faced man stares at a door that marks his destiny. Beads of sweat run down his sunken face. His fate sealed, he nervously looks at the old woman before him, his eyes darting across the room, barley able to hold the cruel stare of the elderly pawnbroker. Heart pounding, he resists the urge to cry out in terror, and run from the shrewd old woman, but his mind is set. He cannot return, he has gone too far to stop now, and must carry out his desperation induced crime. Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment revolves around a poor man struggling to survive in St. Petersburg, Russia. Raskolnikov, the main character, is stricken with both poverty and sickness. It's these determining factors that drive him into murdering a wealthy pawnbroker. Dostoevsky does a masterful job in describing the intense mental anguish that the protagonist goes through both before and after committing the act. He uses symbolism throughout the novel to help further this description of Raskolnikov's suffering, such as the intense fever he suffers that begins just prior the murder, peaks during the act, and continues for days afterwards. This fever also plays a major role in how those characters around him react to him after the crime. Nearly everyone around him is sympathetic towards him, and try to help, but Raskolnikov view himself as being superior to these others, and so rejects any form of charity offered to him. This is another one of Dostoevsky's commentaries on life. He believes that criminals who aren't used to committing crimes act in generally the same manner as Raskolnikov does. They slowly but surely isolate themselves socially, simply because of the fact that all they can think about is the crime itself. This is true of the main character, but in later chapters he tries to correct this after meeting a prostitute that he views to be a victim of situation, much as he seems to view himself. Now of course, this is not a terribly easy book to read, as most of the names are in Russian, and are at times hard to keep track of. Another aspect of the novel, is that at times, it can get rather dry and slow, but with patience it inevitably gets better, and is masterfully written to delve deep into the psychological aspects of punishment that are not as readily visible.
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Summary: A Masterpiece.
Review: I'll start off with some criticism, however, though it doesn't pertain to the actual story itself. I don't like how in 19th century novels authors frequently like to have one character babble for pages upon pages. Dickens is infamous for it, and though there isn't that much of this in Dostoevsky's work (at least in this book) I find it boring when he does partake in this awful style of writing. If it wasn't for the great amount of respect I have for this novel, I would have given it 4 stars as a result. C&P is a deep and philosophical work of literature. Raskolnikov, the centre of the tale, is a striking figure by all accounts, and one of the most extraordinary and complex persons I have ever been introduced to in any novel. He's still debated to this day -- and people continue to write more and more essays centring on his personality and actions. Let's just say there's a lot to say about Rodion Raskolnikov, and the author allows the reader to largely discover him for themselves, rather than to merely tell us what he's like. The whole book can be discussed at great length. As I said, it is very philosophical, and it seems to centre around the concept of nihilism. Raskolnikov has his own ideas, no doubt influenced by the nihilistic tendencies of the 19th century Russian intelligentsia, and these beliefs that he formulated were what compelled him towards a bloody murder near the beginning of the book. From there we are catapulted into a dark and serious psychological thriller (as it is commonly called), where we are forced to explore the psyche of this man against the backdrop of a dreary, dark and depressing St. Petersburg. This is a book to think about. I have my own ideas, of course, just like everybody has. Everyone is free to interpret what Dostoevsky is trying to get across, and to agree or disagree wit him. Read it with care. (I still don't know what Svidraigalov's dreams symbolize.)
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Summary: crime and punishment
Review: this is a book full of amazing charachters
Rating:
Summary: The Crime Is that the UnderEducated Dont Understand It
Review: The complexity of the character of Raskalnikov gives great insight into an analytical mind of a realist who judges the norms we have in society such as the values of life and whether or not murder is justifiable. This was a great feat in mid 1800s Russia because the mind of Raskalnikov can be compared to that of many serial killers and gives us insight into what kinds of thaughts they share in common. Its unfortunate that the closeminded undereducated can not see many underlying meanings within the book that help develop Raskalnikov, and the complexity of the other characters. It takes intelligence, not action thrills and courtroom twists, like a certain author well leave nameless(Grisham). This is definetly a classic.
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Summary: Second to the bible only.Rembrandt and bethoven of literatur
Review: No one will ever write a better book than this one.No one can!I had to read this book in high school and couldn't go past page 80.It seemed to me like the worst and most boring book in the whole world.I didn't understand why I should be interested in a 19th cenetury murderer in ST.Peterburg.A few years ago I decided it was time to read it,if only to see why it is considered such a great literary asset.This time around I understood it!I never thought a writer can be such a great genius or that anyone can create such a perfect creation.I understood that he wasn't speaking only about Russia or about a Russian murderer.He speaks of "man" and humanity.That's why this book is eternal and universal.Some scenes in the book equal the paintings of Rembrandt.I also discovered he can be funny or rather satirical.Dostoevsky is very different in his style of writing than other Russian writers and especialy Tolstoy.He has a kind of corse writing.One feels that he grips life by the b...s.He understands the heart and soul of "man".I would recommend people to read it after the age of 20,or at least read it again at that age.I liked very much what a reviewer said-"I'm so happy I can read",it was the first time I too, felt so grateful for being able to read.
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Summary: A study in crime
Review: This is the first Dostoyevsky novel I have read, and it's a good one. In this book we get to know Raskolnikow, a poor student from Petersburg. At an early stage in the book he brutally murders two People. The rest of the book is centered on Raskolnikow, his crime and the impact it has on him. It's a very realistic journey into the mind of a criminal. Dostoyevsky's description of the mental state of Raskolnikow following the crime is very believable and intriguing. There are many questions this book answers: How does a criminal's mind work? What's on his mind and how does he deal with the crime? And many more.... It's a study in crime, and how it mentally, can lead a person to ruin. A definite must-read!
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Summary: Raskolnikov: a failure, a success, a villain, an anti-hero
Review: This is a classic existentialist text and F. Dostoevsky commands each and every word to obey his purpose. That is one of the problems that I have with this text. At times, Dostoevsky defies the advice of DH Lawrence (who himself couldn't follow his own advice) to "Keep the storyteller out of the story". With Dostoevsky's shifting between 1st and 3rd person narration, the plot becomes too clear and altogether too convenient. Dostoevsky originally began the novel in the 1st person, and it would have been a much more realistic read if it had stayed that way. Characters such as Sonya, Pyotr, Svidrigailov are ruined by cute facts about them being revealed through narration-shift. Another complaint I have is with the Epilogue. The epilogue ruins the entirety of the book and transforms it from a phenomenal piece of literature to a moralistic, unrealistic diatribe that would be better served in an evangelical tract than 500+ pages of literature. Other than my problems with accepting the choice of narration and the inclusion of the epilogue, I feel that this is a very-well written book with unforgettable characters in Raskolnikov, Nikolay, and Porfiry. Women aren't treated in a realistic or fair sense in this text. Some themes to pay attention to when reading this text: nothingness, nothing, the color yellow, voluntary isolation, the highly unrealistic natures of Pulcheria Raskolnikov and Razumihin. Buy the book, read it, but don't read it with blind eyes simply because it is labeled a "classic". If you really want to read about crime and punishment, read _Flash and Filigree_ by Terry Southern.
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Summary: Not to read this book would be.......criminal!
Review: This is one of the great books on human nature of all time. The book centers on the question of ethical caste systems in human affairs. Is it (as Nieztsche and Machivelli would have it) the case that humans find themselves operating under different ethical laws which depend on such things as birthright, intelligence and social status? Or is the situation that (as Kant and Cicero would have it) all men are equal before the law? And what, exactly, is it which decides this? The story centers around a poor Russian peasant named Raskolnikov who believes himself to be the calibre of person that Alexander of Macedon and Napoleon were & therefore is exempt from the "normal" everyday ethics of the rest of us. He contrives to murder a wealthy old woman and then use her money for noble purposes. The plan turns into a debacle, however, when a second person shows up & he is forced to kill her, too. From there, Raskolnikov's mental deterioration begins. The police know he did it, but cannot prove it. Can Raskolnikov deal with his conscience? Shouldn't "superior" me be apt to cope with the sacrifice of a little messy bloodshed when higher purposes are aimed for? Read this book, and find out.
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Summary: transgression and its consequences
Review: a brilliant work-captivates you and forces you to reflect upon the notions of self and God and society-no need to reveal the book's message here-that is for you to see-all I can express for you is to read the novel in solitude, and with an open heart.
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Summary: A book that everyone should read
Review: I have a read a lot of books, but I have to say that Crime and Punishment is by far the best book I have ever read. Although the style of Dostoyevsky himself is lost in the translation, the language is still completely amazing. It is mind boggling to think that anyone could think the way Dostoyevsky writes in Crime and Punishment. This is my favorite book of all time and I recommend it to anyone who likes to read.
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