Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Originals: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

84 reviews

halliyana's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Classism

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: War

clevermird's review against another edition

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Antisemitism and Stalking

avasbookmark's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Minor: Sexual assault, Antisemitism, and Sexual harassment

madinhoa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

naiu_cs's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.25

It was just too slow paced for my taste. Some chapters kept on going for ages and felt filled with unnecessary information and dialogue. But it had it's moments. The characters were intriguing, if some of them insufferable. The exploration of human emotion and behavior was very interesting as well and could have taken up more of the book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol

Minor: Mental illness, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

jensjenna's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

poubelleboi's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

classico russo preferito finora

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Gun violence, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol

Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

gkgkgk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Antisemitism, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Medical content, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury

alexandra_skl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is the best book I’ve ever read. Truly a wonderful and insightful exploration of humanity and morality. While the premise is tragic the book leaves you with a feeling of hope and warmth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism