Reviews with content warning for Schizophrenia/Psychosis - Crime and Punishment

Dostojevskijs språk är så vackert, men kära nån, han behöver nog lite terapi (Raskolnikov också, definitivt. Kanske alla karaktärer. Ingen mår bra. Alla mår piss). Även om jag älskade boken, hela sättet den var skriven på, och hur man på så många sätt sympatiserade med en så typisk antihjälte, var den också helt jävla sjuk. Trauma. På riktigt.

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clevermird's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Installment number ten on my attempt to read the great classics of western literary canon, Crime and Punishment was my intro to the world of Russian literature. I recall saying as I began this one "wow, the first chapter in and I'm already depressed."

Joking aside, Crime and Punishment tells the story of college dropout Raskolnikov, teetering on the edge of destitution and consumed by a strange mix of depression and lofty philosophical musings. In his half-starved despair, he convinces himself that some murders are morally justified and sets out to prove that theory on his pawnbroker. What follows is a series of intertwined events that will change the lives of everyone involved - and end several of them.

This was a hard one for me to review because even after spending a month reading it, I'm not sure how I feel about it. I didn't feel like I enjoyed it while I was reading it. The prose is dense, the language complex, and many characters spend a long time monologuing. The subject matter is bleak and gritty. But then, every time I set it down, I found myself wondering what happened next and musing on the characters and motivations. It's a book that makes you feel accomplished when you finish it, one that takes you deep into the interior lives of its characters. It also feels as thought the characters, Raskolnikov in particular, are deeply personal to the author, which adds a layer of richness to the story that I feel like is hard to replicate.

Overall, not an easy or fun book to read, but one that is a classic for a reason, with a lot to chew on philosophically and some in-depth character study.

Content Warnings