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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
MY OPINION:
I took great effort to appreciate the political, economic, and psychological pertinence of the novel. (published in 1866, pre-soviet Russia, commentary on the pre-Nazi Ubermentsch, commentary on the place and purpose of religion within the justice system, etc) These big ideas, which I researched using Youtube and Sparknotes, kept me going throughout the book, since largely the book was without a plot. Personally, I floundered in the first 100 pages. In my opinion, there was too many characters, too much stream-of-consciousness, and too many nicknames for each character. Overall, the book is not half as heady as I expected-- and half as long, too. It's an easy read, mostly, if only because the vocabulary and sentence length are simple.
SUMMARY/BREAKDOWN:
At the outset, Raskolnikov is a disturbed individual with murderous impulses and a philosophy to rationalize it. As with my experience with Ayn Rand and Ray Bradbury, the sorrow-filled, bleak sections make the other sections gleam. I'm reminded of The Anthem, where Equality spends the entire book in colorless squalor without love, choices, or freedom of speech. (spoilers) Equality uncovers increasing freedom, discovering love, light, and leadership. Ayn Rand's Anthem is a bit hyperbolic. Bradbury's Farenheit, I recall also being almost comedically hyperbolic-- using irony throughout to make points about society. But, similarly, the society was described stylistically to be without life, real-life until the end of the book when Montag escapes to the woods. In comparison, Crime and Punishment is long-winded and subtle. Raskolnikov will spend entire chapters just wandering around the town in complete paranoia, narrating what he's thinking. So, as the reader, we get to hear his deranged ramblings. Discussions are also often one-sided in the novel. Characters will spout off 5, 10, sometimes 12 sentences before yeilding to the other character. I'm reminded of the section where Raskolnikov and Marmelodov are sitting in the bar about a fourth of the way through the book. Marmelodov speaks about 5 pages before Raskolnikov gets a word in. For another example, Raskolnikov gets a letter from his mother. Compared to today's text messages or emails, this letter is endless. I think it goes on for at least 4 pages. Each character is just completely egotistical and verbose. By contrast, when actual give-and-take dialogue occurs, it is refreshing. Another point in comparison, Crime and Punishment is awash with rationalizations for the murder, harsh criticisms of other characters, and a frantic search for escape from justice. Because of this, the infrequent admittances that murder is evil stand out. I found myself circling every reference to God. I reveled in the sections where Raskolnikov was sane, coherent, and compassionate. Much of the book showed him in a state of incredible anguish-- trying to avoid serving jail time for his murder. Like the two novels I mentioned, the end of Crime and Punishment is a a beacon of relief, since Raskolnikov has begun to seek justice for himself.
As a modern reader, this book is somewhat refreshing-- to hear someone actually feel guilty for killing others. In an age when mass murders happen daily, Raskolnikov is strangely a person to be exemplified. I found myself constantly comparing to other media in which killings are performed (especially Dexter). In video games, movies and TV today, murder and violence seems to be arbitrary and thoughtless. It may not be fun to experience guilt and shame, but those feelings are a necessary for Raskolnikov to admit his wrongdoing, and after reading this book I realize how necessary they are to our own willing self-control.
Obviously, I've hardly scratched the surface on what this novel holds in terms of psychological and spiritual critiques. I don't think that Crime and Punishment stands alone in it's approach on any of these topics, but it does historically.
I took great effort to appreciate the political, economic, and psychological pertinence of the novel. (published in 1866, pre-soviet Russia, commentary on the pre-Nazi Ubermentsch, commentary on the place and purpose of religion within the justice system, etc) These big ideas, which I researched using Youtube and Sparknotes, kept me going throughout the book, since largely the book was without a plot. Personally, I floundered in the first 100 pages. In my opinion, there was too many characters, too much stream-of-consciousness, and too many nicknames for each character. Overall, the book is not half as heady as I expected-- and half as long, too. It's an easy read, mostly, if only because the vocabulary and sentence length are simple.
SUMMARY/BREAKDOWN:
At the outset, Raskolnikov is a disturbed individual with murderous impulses and a philosophy to rationalize it. As with my experience with Ayn Rand and Ray Bradbury, the sorrow-filled, bleak sections make the other sections gleam. I'm reminded of The Anthem, where Equality spends the entire book in colorless squalor without love, choices, or freedom of speech. (spoilers) Equality uncovers increasing freedom, discovering love, light, and leadership. Ayn Rand's Anthem is a bit hyperbolic. Bradbury's Farenheit, I recall also being almost comedically hyperbolic-- using irony throughout to make points about society. But, similarly, the society was described stylistically to be without life, real-life until the end of the book when Montag escapes to the woods. In comparison, Crime and Punishment is long-winded and subtle. Raskolnikov will spend entire chapters just wandering around the town in complete paranoia, narrating what he's thinking. So, as the reader, we get to hear his deranged ramblings. Discussions are also often one-sided in the novel. Characters will spout off 5, 10, sometimes 12 sentences before yeilding to the other character. I'm reminded of the section where Raskolnikov and Marmelodov are sitting in the bar about a fourth of the way through the book. Marmelodov speaks about 5 pages before Raskolnikov gets a word in. For another example, Raskolnikov gets a letter from his mother. Compared to today's text messages or emails, this letter is endless. I think it goes on for at least 4 pages. Each character is just completely egotistical and verbose. By contrast, when actual give-and-take dialogue occurs, it is refreshing. Another point in comparison, Crime and Punishment is awash with rationalizations for the murder, harsh criticisms of other characters, and a frantic search for escape from justice. Because of this, the infrequent admittances that murder is evil stand out. I found myself circling every reference to God. I reveled in the sections where Raskolnikov was sane, coherent, and compassionate. Much of the book showed him in a state of incredible anguish-- trying to avoid serving jail time for his murder. Like the two novels I mentioned, the end of Crime and Punishment is a a beacon of relief, since Raskolnikov has begun to seek justice for himself.
As a modern reader, this book is somewhat refreshing-- to hear someone actually feel guilty for killing others. In an age when mass murders happen daily, Raskolnikov is strangely a person to be exemplified. I found myself constantly comparing to other media in which killings are performed (especially Dexter). In video games, movies and TV today, murder and violence seems to be arbitrary and thoughtless. It may not be fun to experience guilt and shame, but those feelings are a necessary for Raskolnikov to admit his wrongdoing, and after reading this book I realize how necessary they are to our own willing self-control.
Obviously, I've hardly scratched the surface on what this novel holds in terms of psychological and spiritual critiques. I don't think that Crime and Punishment stands alone in it's approach on any of these topics, but it does historically.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a masterpiece. One of the greatest, most impactful novels I've read in my life. Crime and Punishment deserves every praise.
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fiódor Dostoyevski, uno de los autores rusos más importantes de la literatura, vio publicada su obra más influyente en 1866. Forma parte del existencialismo aunque conserva el teísmo recurrente del autor; todo ello narrado con vehemencia y pulcritud con un estilo impecable. Contiene tintes autobiográficos que hacen de esta novela una obra maestra intimista, original y única.
En «Crimen y castigo» conoceremos a Rodion Raskolnikov, un joven estudiante de San Petesburgo, que se ve obligado a suspender sus estudios por la situación de miseria en la que se halla. Su madre (Pulqueria) y su hermana (Dunia) conocedoras de esta desgracia decidirán ponerle remedio, eso llevará a Dunia a prometerse con un rico y arrogante abogado. La cuestión es que Raskolnikov jamás aceptará ese destino pues cree ser poseedor de un futuro mucho más relevante.
En este libro se nos presenta una cuestión moral de lo más interesante: la culpabilidad que nace (o no) a raíz de cometer un crimen y si realmente debe dicho sujeto sufrir una penitencia cuando ha sido ejecutado con un fin “loable” (siempre bajo su punto de vista modificado por creencias y filosofías que mantiene). Una intrincada trama se abrirá paso, una lectura mucho más ágil y sencilla de lo esperado que tiene algún que otro fragmento más lento o denso pero que en ningún momento permite al lector desconectar de la obra.
Nos hallamos ante un personaje principal contradictorio, incongruente, impulsivo, irascible, solitario, huraño y misántropo; son muchos los calificativos peyorativos que podría dedicarle, pero lo que más le representa es su convencimiento de ser un hombre extraordinario, llegando en ocasiones a compararse con Napoleón. Es un ser que a pesar de causar cierto rechazo al lector va siendo desgranado paulatinamente para que finalmente logremos entender su mente.
Los temas que tienen más trascendencia en esta novela es la filosofía y la psicología basados en el concepto del bien y el mal. También nos proporcionará alusiones reveladoras de la Biblia y los paralelismos que crea Dostoyevski con la vida del protagonista durante toda la obra. La relación entre él y la sociedad rusa y sus creencias; sin olvidar la condición de la mujer en la época y las menciones al feminismo.
En definitiva, este es un ensayo desde el punto de vista de un criminal, una caída libre en picado hacía el abismo psicológico, pasando por delirios cercanos a la locura, una desesperación asfixiante que en conjunto nos muestra esta exquisita introspección. Conoceremos en extrema profundidad todos los pensamientos de los personajes, sus extrañas moralidades y sus sentimientos. A través de diálogos y monólogos internos puramente filosóficos tendremos una buena dosis de reflexiones existencialistas que realzan un escrito imprescindible.
En «Crimen y castigo» conoceremos a Rodion Raskolnikov, un joven estudiante de San Petesburgo, que se ve obligado a suspender sus estudios por la situación de miseria en la que se halla. Su madre (Pulqueria) y su hermana (Dunia) conocedoras de esta desgracia decidirán ponerle remedio, eso llevará a Dunia a prometerse con un rico y arrogante abogado. La cuestión es que Raskolnikov jamás aceptará ese destino pues cree ser poseedor de un futuro mucho más relevante.
En este libro se nos presenta una cuestión moral de lo más interesante: la culpabilidad que nace (o no) a raíz de cometer un crimen y si realmente debe dicho sujeto sufrir una penitencia cuando ha sido ejecutado con un fin “loable” (siempre bajo su punto de vista modificado por creencias y filosofías que mantiene). Una intrincada trama se abrirá paso, una lectura mucho más ágil y sencilla de lo esperado que tiene algún que otro fragmento más lento o denso pero que en ningún momento permite al lector desconectar de la obra.
Nos hallamos ante un personaje principal contradictorio, incongruente, impulsivo, irascible, solitario, huraño y misántropo; son muchos los calificativos peyorativos que podría dedicarle, pero lo que más le representa es su convencimiento de ser un hombre extraordinario, llegando en ocasiones a compararse con Napoleón. Es un ser que a pesar de causar cierto rechazo al lector va siendo desgranado paulatinamente para que finalmente logremos entender su mente.
Los temas que tienen más trascendencia en esta novela es la filosofía y la psicología basados en el concepto del bien y el mal. También nos proporcionará alusiones reveladoras de la Biblia y los paralelismos que crea Dostoyevski con la vida del protagonista durante toda la obra. La relación entre él y la sociedad rusa y sus creencias; sin olvidar la condición de la mujer en la época y las menciones al feminismo.
En definitiva, este es un ensayo desde el punto de vista de un criminal, una caída libre en picado hacía el abismo psicológico, pasando por delirios cercanos a la locura, una desesperación asfixiante que en conjunto nos muestra esta exquisita introspección. Conoceremos en extrema profundidad todos los pensamientos de los personajes, sus extrañas moralidades y sus sentimientos. A través de diálogos y monólogos internos puramente filosóficos tendremos una buena dosis de reflexiones existencialistas que realzan un escrito imprescindible.
dark