Reviews

Brilliant. Easily anyone’s favorite novel. We all see injustice everywhere even though what looks unfair to you might be totally normal to others. Being in an unfair situation is the cruelest thing that can ever happen to anyone. It is difficult though to explain or justify when you're in such a situation. Dostoyevsky captures that pain clearly in this novel.

Summary/Notes:
Part 1:
Chapter 1:
Walking around uncomfortably, avoiding the landlady in a hot summer day because he doesn’t have any money. He is crushed by poverty. He doesn’t care anymore about paying rent but yet he is afraid of going down the stairs and seeing the landlady. He is thinking of doing that terrible thing and thinking of all the details. He thinks his hat might be too noticeable and decides to get another hat. He knows the exact number of steps, 730 to Alyona Ivanovna's house. He is going now to do a rehearsal of his project. He knows Alyona is the only one living on the forth floor, perfect for his plan. He goes there and sees Alyona and tries to memorize the apartment layout. The apartment is clean without a speck of dust. He shows her the pocket watch and she gives him a very tiny amount for it. He left with tremendous confusion. He is sick and horrified of his thoughts and what he plans to do. He notices a tavern on the way back. He goes inside without thinking. He’s never been to one before in his life but he suddenly craves a cold beer and decides to get one. He notices a man that looks like a retired government clerk in agitation.

Chapter 2:
Although he doesn’t like company, every now and then he enjoys some company. He focuses on the old guy that looked like a retired government clerk who was in desperate shape. The man starts up a conversation with Raskolnikov and tells him his story. His name is Marmeladov. He tells him that he has been sleeping outside for 5 days. He hasn’t cleaned himself. He used all his money on drinking and eventually lost his position in the government which pushed his daughter Sonya into prostitution. He left his wife Katerina Ivanovna with the children with no money. He even stole the prostitution money and left and never came back home for that long. Raskolnikov decides to help take Marmeladov home and sees the poverty the man is suffering from. Raskolnikov sees the poverty and fear in the wife and children’s eyes and decides to leave some money for them although he himself is in poverty as well. He even doubts his decision to give the money out and considers taking it but then changes his mind.

Chapter 3:
Raskolnikov receives a letter from his mother. Nastasya, the landlady’s only servant, gives it to him. She also cleans his room once a week and brings him tea and food. He kisses his mother’s letter. His mother’s letter was long and in the letter she tells him what had happened to his sister Donia. Donia has been suffering recently because of the family she’s been working for as a governess. The husband was pursuing but Donia was stuck there working for them because of her debt. His wife Marfa heard them once and decides to put the whole blame on Donia. Donia’s reputation gets hammered but eventually the husband decides to publicly tell the truth and Marfa regrets what she did and publicly apologizes for her. A relative of Marfa, Pyotr Petrovitch Luzhi, proposes to Donia and she accepts. He is 45 with some money. His mother described their few meetings in the letter which showed Pyotr as a cheap and arrogant person but his mother was oblivious to all of them. At the end of the letter she promises to send more money. Raskolnikov was crying while reading the letter and was in so much pain.

Chapter 4:
Raskolnikov promises that his sister will never marry that Luzhin guy. He leaves the apartment and walks around. He is thinking about Donia and that cheap, stingy guy. He gets more and more frustrated. His bitterness grow more with every step. He notices a 15 year old girl not walking in a straight line. He believes she’s a drunk. Her clothes were ripped. He gets mad when he sees another man following the girl and decides to protect the girl. A police man comes to the scene and Raskolnikov gives him 20 kopecks for a cab ride to the take the girl’s home. After the incident he starts have feelings of regret, why did he give the money to the police man, why does he care about what happens to girl, why does he care about anything anyway. He forgets why left the apartment and then remembers that he was going to visit Razumihkin, one of his friends from the university although not really as he doesn’t though have friends. He works all the time and doesn’t really socialize with people unlike Razumihkin who is not crushed by failure, he works hard and has many friends and has a very nice personality. He doesn’t seem to give up no what happens to him.

Chapter 5:
Before reaching his friend’s place he changes his mind. He doesn’t think he can help him with anything. He decides to go there after “IT” happens. He goes back to the apartment and sleeps. He dreams he is sever years old again with his dad. They pass a tavern with a lot of drunk people. He sees the old horse being harassed and hit by those drunk people. Raskolnikov gets so mad and so upset for the poor old horse. He throws himself on the horse and the owners gets mad and demands doing whatever he wants to it. He wakes up from the dream in horror. He leaves the apartment and goes to the market. There he hears that Alyona Ivanovna’s sister was going to be out at 7 in the evening and Alyona would be completely alone.

Chapter 6:
Raskolnikov overhears another conversation between two people who also had a recent interaction with Alyona. They complained about her unfair interest prices and she abuses her sister to do whatever she asks her for. One of the men even suggests how killing Alyona and distributing the money she has to the poor would probably be a justifiable act to the society. Raskolnikov goes back and prepares for his act. He makes a secure pocket for the axe in his jacket. When he goes downstairs to the kitchen to get the axe he sees Nastasya and blames himself for thinking that the kitchen would be empty. He then leaves and gets the axe from the porter and heads to the place. He reaches the place without anyone noticing him. He goes inside and notices the painters painting in the flat but they don’t see them. He continues going upstairs and rings the bell several times until she answered.

Chapter 7:
Raskolnikov forces his way in the apartment. He reminds her of why he is here (for the cigarettes case). She goes into the bedroom and he gets his axe out and starts striking her with it. He looks for the keys and notices the necklace she’s wearing. He tries to take it but it was stuck so he uses the axe to get it. He finds the keys and takes the leather purse. He finds the chest under the bed and opens it. It was full of clothes but then he discovers that a lot of watchers, silver and gold are hidden in those clothes. He then hears noise and goes out to discover that the sister never left the house! He goes back for the axe. The sister is defenseless. She doesn’t even cover her face with her hands. He strikes her with the axe. He is frightened now. He begins cleaning himself to leave but then he hears the doorbell. Two people were waiting outside and were suspicious of the situation because the door was locked from the inside. They leave to get help and Raskolnikov takes the chance to leave. He almost comes across the painters as were going out but they don’t see him. He hides in that empty apartment until everyone goes upstairs and then he leaves quickly.

Part 2
Chapter 1:
Raskolnikov is terrified. He goes into deep sleep. He wakes up frightened with a high fever. He hides the stuff he stole. Nastasya comes in with the porter. He needs to go the Police. He is horrified now and knows that the Police found out. He goes there and decides on the way that the best thing is to confess to get it over with. He arrives there and waits while being in a frightened state. They finally tell him that he is here because the landlady complained that he is not paying the rent. He is suddenly relieved and even gets upset at the police man. He signs the required papers and overhears the police talking about the murder. He gets terrified again and believes that the police will know it’s him.

Chapter 2:
Raskolnikov returns home, collects the jewelry and leaves again. He buries the jewelry under a large stone in a courtyard. He visits his friend Razumikhin and doesn’t remember why he was there but then remembers that he said he will see him after “IT” happens. Razumikhin offers him a job doing translations he first accepts but then rejects the offer. He returns back him and goes back to sleep. He dreams that Ilya Petrovitch is beating the landlady. Nastasya wakes him up and he tells Nastasya what happened but she tells him it was a dream and he is very sick.

Chapter 3:
Raskolnikov stays in that state for days. Razumihkin stays beside him to take care of him. He wakes up to find a person he didn’t know. He turns out to be delivering money his mother was sending. He learns that he’s been out for four days and he gets scared because he thinks he might’ve said something about the murder. Razumihkin also tells him that he’s been asking for his socks multiple times while he was unconscious. Raskolnikov checks on the socks and gets relieved that the socks were covered by dirt so no one would’ve noticed the blood.

Chapter 4:
Dr. Zossimov is a 27 year old tall fat man with spectacles. Razumihkin updates the doctor with the status of Raskolnikov and asks if it’s possible for Raskolnikov to attend a gathering tonight. Zametov will be attending who is the chief clerk along with Petrovitch, the head of the investigation department. The doctor and Razumihkin were talking of the murder of Alyona along with her sister. The painters were accused of the murder. One of them had a jewelry box that he claimed to have found on the street. Razumikhin is insisting that the painters couldn’t have committed the crime. Razumikhin gives a full theory of why the painters can’t be the killers. He insists that the killer must’ve been upstairs and once the painters left the apartment he went there and waited for everyone to go back upstairs and then ran out and dropped the earrings on the way. The doctor however thinks that the explanation is too melodramatic and couldn't have happened.

Chapter 5:
Donia’s fiance arrives asking for Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov doesn’t care for him but also notices that he is very well dressed. Luzhin says that Raskolnikov's mother and sister maybe arrive at anytime now. He tells him where he is making them stay. Razumihkin says that the place is filthy and a dump. Luzhin defends the choice by saying that he didn’t know ahead of time. Luzhin is staying though with Andrea Semyonovitch. Zossimov suggests that one of the clients of Alyona must have killed her. Zossimov thinks that he is a professional killer while Razumihkin thinks the killer is new and that is his first crime because he didn’t take all the jewelry. Luzhin interrupts saying that the killer must’ve been a rich client. Raskolnikov attacks Luzhin saying that he wants to marry his poor sister to have total control over her. Luzhin accuses Raskolnikov’s mother of saying this. Raskolnikov threatens Luzhin of throwing him down the stairs if he talks about his mother again. He leaves right away.

Chapter 6:
Alone in his room he calms down. He left the apartment. He walks aimlessly. He met Zametov. They started talking and Raskolnikov thanked him for giving him the sock when he was sick. Zametov thought he should still be in bed. He almost confesses to Zametov. He describes what he would’ve done if he was the murderer. He described how he would hide the jewelry under a stone and come back 2 to 3 years after to collect it. Zametov at first started suspecting him but then changed his mind at the end thinking that Raskolnikov is just ill. Raskolnikov bumps into Razumihkin but says that he wants to be alone and rejects his friend’s invitation to his party. He leaves and witnesses a suicide attempt over the bridge. He passes by Alyona’s place and goes inside. He kept ringing the bell over and over again. He said he wants to rent the apartment. The workers was getting annoyed with him. Raskolnikov left and knew that he soon would to the police station and it will all be over.

Chapter 7:
Oh his way to the police station he witnesses an accident, a man falls under a carriage. It was the drunk man from the tavern days ago. It was Marmeladov. He announced that he knew him and announced that he would pay for the doctor and bring the man home 3 houses away. They bring him home. Katrina doesn’t take the news well. She is panicking because she doesn’t know how to support the family or even pay for the burial. Sonya comes back to see her father and he dies in her arms. Raskolnikov gives money to Katrina and promises to come back and support them. Sonya sends the little girl after Raskolnikov leave to asks him about his name. Raskolnikov likes the little girl and she gives him a hug and cries on his shoulder. He asks her to pray for him as well. He decides to go see Razumihkin and then both go home. Razumihkin tells Raskolnikov that Zametov thinks he’s mad. He told Razumihkin about the conversation he had with Raskolnikov today. He warned him of talking to Zametov like that again. They come back home and discover that his mother and sister have arrived. He sees them and faints.

Part 3:
Chapter 1:
When Raskolnikov recovers he starts by saying that he is opposed to the engagement. He declares that he doesn’t want anyone in the room. Razumihkin takes the mother and sister away. He promised to bring Dr. Zossimov to take care of Raskolnikov. Razumihkin develops feelings for Donia. Razumihkin also tries to fix up the doctor with the landlady because he doesn’t want the doctor and Donia to talk to each other.

Chapter 2:
Razumihkin wakes up and goes to meet Pulcheria and Donia. They talk about Raskolnikov, how good he is although he doesn’t show it, also of his past involvement with the landlady’s daughter and how wrong that was. Pulcheria shows him the letter they received from Luzhin. He was supposed to meet them last night but didn’t show up. He also apologized for not coming today. He also requested that Raskolnikov not be present when he meets them later today. He also told them about Roskolnikov giving me to the daughter/prostitute of a drunk dying man the other day. She is nervous about the whole situation and even going to see Raskolnikov.

Chapter 3:
Dr. Zossimov tells them that Raskolnikov is getting better and that he needs to go back to the university to keep himself busy. He is also doing this to impress the mother and Donia. Raskolnikov was thinking about how much he loved his mother and sister in their absence. His mother asks him if he knows what it means to be alone. Raskolnikov remembers the Katrina from yesterday and tells them how he should’ve maybe not given the money away since he doesn’t have any money. Donia also mentioned that Marfa died from the beating from her husband. They go back to the subject of Luzhin. Donia tries to convince him that she made the right choice. Raskolnikov is not convinced but at the end just declares that he doesn’t care and she can marry whoever she wants. They show him the letter sent by Luzhin. They defends his position and says that he didn’t give the money to the daughter but to the widow for the funeral.

Chapter 4:
Sonya comes to Raskolnikov’s place. She is dressed in cheap clothes. She came because Katrina told her to invite Raskolnikov to the service tomorrow. He invites her in but she felt that as if she is not worthy of sitting next to the ladies. The mother and the sister and leave. The mother is worried about the relationship between Raskolnikov and Donia. She thinks that Raskolnikov must think of a great deal of her. Raskolnikov tells Razumihkin that he needs to see Porfiry (the investigation officer) to see if he can find his father’s watch that he had given to Aloyna. He also asks Sonya for her address so that he can visit her. He asked Sonya how she found his address and she told him that he gave it to her little sister but Raskolnikov didn’t remember. They leave the apartment and Razumihkin jokes about about how he never looks his room! Sonya leaves too and suddenly she feels a strange feeling she never felt before. There was a guy following Sonya to her home. He was tall about 50. He turned out to be her neighbor. (Svidrigailov)

Chapter 5:
They both go to Porfiry. Raskolnikov is a bit nervous. Zametov is also there. Porfiry said that he needs to tell the lawyer and the lawyer will pursue the thing. Raskolnikov kept insisting that he doesn’t have enough money and that the watch is very valuable and the only thing left from his father. Porfiry said that everyone came for their things except for him right after the murder. Raskolnikov become defensive and said that he was extremely hilarious. Porfiry kept asking him tricky questions, how he was generous with the family yesterday, his article about crime theory recently published. Raskolnikov said jokingly that he found a treasure somewhere. Raskolnikov figures out that he is getting irritated and that doesn’t the case so he tried to calm down. Porfiry also asked if he saw painters two days before the murder. Raskolnikov knew the trick because the painters were only there on the day of the murder.

Chapter 6:
Razumikhin doesn’t understand why the police men were suspicious of Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov is certain they are. They walked to Raskolnikov’s home. There was a man looking for Raskolnikov. The man calls him “Murderer”. Raskolnikov walks beside him. He asks why he called them a murderer. He doesn’t answer and the man leaves. Raskolnikov returns back to the room, feeling chilled and nervous. He is exhausted and in pain. He is convinced that he didn’t kill a human being but a concept. He had a weird dream of killing the landlady again with the axe. He woke up to find a strange man in his room. The man declares that his name is Arkady Ivanovitch Svidrigailov

Part 4:
Chapter 1:
Svidrigailov goes to see Raskolnikov. He asks him to deliver a message to Dunya. Raskolnikov refuses immediately and asks him to leave. He defends himself saying that he had nothing to do with Marfa’s death. Raskolnikov doesn’t think so. He tells Raskolnikov about Marfa visiting him as a ghost and Raskolnikov thinks he is insane. He tells Raskolnikov that had heard of the engagement and he didn’t think Luzhin is good enough for Donia and he wanted to break it and gives her 10,000 rubles without asking for anything in return. He also tells him that Marfa had left money for Donia in her will.

Chapter 2:
Razumikhin and Raskolnikov walk together. Razumikhin had met Porfiry and Zametov. They meet Donia with Luzhin and the his mother at a restaurant. Luzhin gets upset. Luzhin tells them about Svidrigailov visiting and how he killed his wife. Donia thinks it’s all gossip. Raskolnikov tells them about the money from Marfa’s well. Luzhin threatens them if he leaves now he would’ve ever come back. Donia tells him to never come back. Luzhin finally complains about how much they had cost him. The mother gets upset because Luzhin is cheap and barely spent money. Luzhin was so angry at Raskolnikov and thinks that he might still have a chance.

Chapter 3:
Razumikhin is happy with the outcome, finally Luzhin is out of the picture. Raskolnikov tells Donia about the 10,000 rubles. Razumikhin says that the mother and Donia should indeed stay in St. Petersburg and not go back, that they should stay together as a family. Raskolnikov leaves without n....

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