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dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Im so glad I read this, I really enjoyed the story even though I got lost a few times.
Raskolnikov and his slow but steady acceptance of christianity and redemption was one of my favorite parts, especially thinking back to all the little moments that added up to it.
I loved Razumikhin and Sonia too.
I loved Razumikhin and Sonia too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Death of parent
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Фантастическая книга. Как жаль, что у многих из нас она так и остаётся смазанным образом из принудительной школьной программы!
Перечитывала с огромным удовольствием, иногда проглатывая по сотне страниц за раз, а иногда останавливаясь каждые двадцать, чтобы перевести дух. Думаю, ещё не раз к ней вернусь.
Перечитывала с огромным удовольствием, иногда проглатывая по сотне страниц за раз, а иногда останавливаясь каждые двадцать, чтобы перевести дух. Думаю, ещё не раз к ней вернусь.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Dementia, Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
in the wise words of trisha paytas, “IM FREEEEEE!!!!!!!!! WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY FUCKING LIFE”
ok but on a serious note — i did not have a fun time. i do not really know why i finished this, other than the fact it wasn’t as dreadful of an experience of other classics i’ve dnf’ed (cough cough the count of monte cristo) and i wanted to understand why this book is a classic and loved & why dostoevsky is praised as one of the best writers to exist. to be honest, i do understand it! i can defo see the positives but….. it was a chop for me.
let me tell you the few parts of this text where i experienced a positive feeling: 1. part 2 of the text, right after rodia kills the pawnbroker. that was interesting i guess. 2. dunia shooting svidrigailov. bad bitch 🔥. 3. svidrigailov killing himself . and im not even saying i enjoyed this just because he was awful. but i really liked the writing of that chapter. 4. the funeral chapter was lowkey interesting because so much tea was being spilt. 5. pofiry telling rodia he’s suspected him for ages and has even been using razumikhin as an unknowing pawn. FIRE MOVE MY BOY.
and that’s it! 5 chapters. in a 500 page book.
so let’s get onto what i did not like! almost everything LMAOOOO
ok i’ll get more specific. but honestly im just a full hater surrounding this book with no specific rhyme or reason. but let’s give some reasons.
rodia is so boring. he is supposed to be the heart of the book — his internal conflict, his thoughts, his actions, those who surround him, etc. i just found him utterly predictable and one-note. i don’t mind the fact that one minute homeboy is sane and the next minute he’s literally comatose for 3 days because he is that wracked with stress over a murder. girl i would be stressed too! but other than that i felt he lacked any depth. i do think later in the text this is developed more with the paper he published & his dialogue in part V chapter VI. but before that i was BOOREEEDDD. and i cared even less about the rest of the characters. literally everyone had one defining trait or fact about them. like what can i tell you about katerina other than she is tubercular and a bit batshit. luzhin? asshole. razumikhin? nice and educated. like nobody is interesting. yawn.
as always with classics, this book fucking rambles. ok yes i will concede at times rambling is necessary for this book, either in character for rodia’s mania or for dostoevsky to ponder philosophical themes. i’ll give him that. but man sometimes this book just dragged on and on and on and on. and i’m like.. do we need to read about rodia walking aimlessly around the town for the 7th time. did i really have to listen to marmeladov share information that is told to us by like 3 other characters? what are we doing here man. and i’m not even saying “oh just every sentence and paragraph needs to be shorter”. no. there’s just a lot of unnecessary fluff in this book. some random things still make sense thematically, but some things? I DONT CAAAREEEE
i did not give a fuck about the philosophical thoughts. ok ill be honest i did enjoy the ponderings related to rodia’s paper, and the morality of murder, and who is “above the law”… but other than that….. YAWWWNNNN. idk it felt like being forced to read a textbook except i was put into the classes’ subject to be tortured. i like philosophy to a certain degree, but idk at some point dostoevsky bored my ass. and i get he was the leading man in a lot of philosophical concepts, so sure i’d be bored! this is common knowledge to me in 2025! but back in dostoevsky’s times these concepts were unique and novel! but honestly i dont even think that’s the reason. i just think dostoevsky is not an engaging writer in this book.
i really thought i would like this. i enjoy classics with a bit of a deeper message and intriguing characters who are flawed. plus i studied a teensy little bit of the russian revolution in hs, so i thought with my “background knowledge 🤓👆” i’d have more fun. alas, i fucking hated every waking moment dedicated to reading this, apart from the 5 chapters i mentioned earlier. i started hating this so bad i had to play an audiobook whilst playing cookie run. THIS BOOK WAS SO BAD IT BROUGHT BACK MY COOKIE RUN ADDICITION FROM 2021.
anyways, fuck rodia, fuck crime, fuck punishment, and fuck classics who yap about nothing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Stalking
I could not stand the main characters internal inner monologues, beating a horse to death, any of the side characters, the plot, the background descriptions, the word choices. Could not even stand the few things I liked because I hated the rest of it so much!
Started reading it to become able to say that I've read Crime and Punishment, now I can say I dropped Crime and Punishment half-way through
Started reading it to become able to say that I've read Crime and Punishment, now I can say I dropped Crime and Punishment half-way through
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Alcoholism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Classism
Minor: Confinement, Vomit, Stalking, Abandonment
Classics are just books with a few years on it spine, there is nothing inherently better about them
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My favorite book. ILY Raskolnikov you are so me fr
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Classism
Minor: Xenophobia, Antisemitism
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Blood, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
And what shows that I am utterly a louse,’ [...] ‘is that I am perhaps viler and more loathsome than the louse I killed, and I felt beforehand that I should tell myself so after killing her.
As soon as I started reading this story, I knew I was gonna love it. The writing was masterful in my eyes and never made me bored even though the story was dragging. The changes of point of view were a choice that was for the most part a success. The characters are so realistic and I was immediately moved by the empathy pouring from every page, which is refreshing.
This book made me remember why I LOVE reading classics because you can analyse every page and to this day, it's so accessible and doesn't come off as pretentious in any way.
Unfortunately I wanted to love this book more, but I was definitely taken aback from the writing of the female characters, the portrayal of the prisoners, the love story that I hated but more importantly I was disappointed by the lack of development from main character even though all the self awareness that he has. The choices for the ending were kind of disappointing for me...
Even then, this is a masterful piece of work that I loved reading and definitely made me yearn to read another work from this Dostoevsky soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Sexism, Suicide attempt
Minor: Rape, Antisemitism
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
‘But why are you so pale, Rodion Romanovitch? Is the room stuffy? Shall I open the window?’
In Fyodor Dostoevsky’s monumental opus, Crime and Punishment, readers are beckoned to traverse the vast seas of human emotion and navigate the seldom-explored labyrinth of morality. Against the intricate social tapestry of 19th-century Russia, Dostoevsky orchestrates a mesmerizing masterpiece that portrays both the shadows and the brilliance in a single, sweeping epic.
The very title of the book hints at a symphony of words, where “crime” and “punishment” merely protrude above the surface, akin to the visible peaks of an iceberg. We are compelled to contemplate whether the legal apparatus perennially functions as the custodian of justice alongside the central figure, Rodión Románovich Raskólnikov (Raskolnikov). Through a soul-stirring odyssey of extremes, we plunge into the depths of his destiny. However, Dostoevsky, with profound brilliance, delves beyond the mere realms of redemption.
The foundational themes of poverty and social inequality stand as robust pillars, illustrating the authentic tribulations of characters ensnared within a harsh societal milieu. With unparalleled acumen, Dostoevsky unravels the psychological and emotional repercussions of poverty, charting a course through a morally challenging terrain.
Within the realm of human psychology and the psyche, Dostoevsky constructs a sophisticated and intriguing inner cartography. Readers are guided through the corridors of profound thoughts, experiencing the undulating waves of emotions and the inevitable moral tensions. Amidst the tumult, there exists a glimmer of hope, particularly embodied in the character of Sonia, providing profound emotional counterpoints.
Themes of religion and spirituality, though subtly interwoven amidst the shadows of transgressions, introduce a transcendent dimension to the narrative. Questions pertaining to redemption and the significance of faith emerge as soulful summons, imparting a profound spiritual nuance to the tale.
The author adeptly leads readers through a journey of shadows and enlightenment, elevating Crime and Punishment beyond the realm of mere literature; it becomes a reflective tapestry of life that beckons exploration into the enduring nature of morality and the inner odyssey of humanity. Reading this work is akin to navigating a profound labyrinth of emotions, where each page unfolds not as mere text but as a series of portals revealing the inner landscapes of its characters, particularly Raskolnikov.
The plot, replete with unexpected turns and the psychological intricacies of the main characters, succeeds in both unsettling and enthralling the reader. In particular, the tale of Sonia and Raskolnikov presents a whirlwind of emotions that elude easy articulation. Raskolnikov’s decisions and their consequences create a moral dynamism, pulling readers into a maelstrom of dark and melancholic sentiments. Readers don’t merely peruse the story; they undergo it, with each emotion delving so profoundly that empathy and engagement in the inner journey become inevitable.
The author efficaciously conjures a haunting atmosphere, immersing readers into the dark and somber psychological terrain of Raskolnikov. Readers seemingly stand by his side, feeling the tension and the inescapable internal strife. Personally, I find Constance Garnett’s translation of Crime and Punishment delivers Fyodor Dostoevsky’s classic work into English with a captivating narrative richness. Garnett adeptly captures the intricacies of the Russian language, enabling English readers to feel the darkness and perplexity that permeate the inner worlds of the characters, particularly the protagonist, Raskolnikov.
Garnett provides a gateway into Raskolnikov’s psychological realm, rendering readers witnesses to his shadowy journey. Despite being acknowledged as an exceptional literary work, Crime and Punishment may pose challenges for some readers. The language employed is considered intricate and perplexing, possibly less accommodating for readers who prefer a lighter and more direct writing style.
Some may also perceive that certain characters in the novel are overly one-dimensional. For instance, the character of Sonia might appear excessively “virtuous” and lacking in the nuanced complexity of authentic humanity. Some readers might anticipate characters that are more authentic and intricate. Nonetheless, Crime and Punishment remains a work that entices us to delve deeper into contemplation about life and morality. Despite its complexity, the book retains its inherent allure, prompting contemplation on the intricacies of human life amid all its paradoxes.
With the conclusion of Crime and Punishment, we not only close a book but emerge from a complex labyrinth of the soul. With Dostoevsky’s unparalleled craftsmanship and Garnett’s translation, we are presented with a work of art that immerses us in a carnival of emotions, provoking philosophical questions that reverberate long after the book is sealed. As readers, we are not mere spectators; we walk alongside wounded characters seeking redemption. Through moral and psychological complexity, this novel beckons us to reflect on the nature of humanity, etching an enduring legacy in literature by illuminating beauty within darkness and truth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Suicide, Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
Minor: Antisemitism