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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It would be an exercise in futility to attempt to fully convey the all encompassing, incredible depth this masterpiece of fiction has to offer in such limited words. The reader gets to intimately observe the psychology of Dostoyevsky's paradoxical protagonist: Raskolnikov, who commits an indelible crime in 19th century St Petersburg, which permanently alters a plethora of lives, including his own that swings continually between states of arrogance and despair. Dostoyevsky masterfully tackles philosophical and ideological questions pertaining to morality, sacrifice, remorse, redemption and even love, which are supported by a gripping story with an enthralling and complex ensemble of characters, and culminate in a profound conclusion that is sure to leave its mark on the reader indubitably.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
The Happy Journey of the Classics Rudely Interrupted
"I would like to read you on a complete disaster of a book and why it should be buried!!"
My eccentric Scottish friend sent me these words well over a year ago - and how I have wondered if I would fulfill that request at some point. Well Alastair, you get your wish. This one is for you! Here is why I think Crime and Punishment should be "buried"!
I will tell you why I found "Crime and Punishment" to be a miserable read and yet how reading such a book can shape our attitude towards the differences of opinion and style.
Not all classics are created equal and call me crazy but I hardly consider Dostoevsky altogether an author, much less one of the prestigious classical breed!
The plot - a young student murdering an old, unpleasant pawn-broker and having to deal with the psychological aftermath - could have been promising, if not for the story telling, the writing style, the character depiction. In short, if not written by Dostoevsky.
He goes into monstrous proportions of expressing everything in the characters' minds without relating any one thing to another or tying any of it to the overall plot in even a remotely tangible way. He - the author - is nearly as disturbed and as much on the verge of insanity as his protagonist, Rascolnikov, and while it may sound fascinating, it does not bode well for story-telling of any kind. He subjects us to every unfinished thought, every draft of an idea, every whim and notion, every passing fancy, fantasy and delusion in Rascolnikov's head and yet does not allow us to arrive at any possible sensible conclusion. Following either a conversation or a monologue anywhere in the book is akin to going on a winding roller coaster ride without the remotest thrill - and repeating that cycle a few hundred times until the last page of the book.
It is this miserable style of Dostoevsky's story telling which numbed my interest and robbed me of any compassion toward any character whatsoever, for how could an author inspire our compassion or interest when he insists on not telling the story and on not communicating with the reader and instead on leading us on a path which ends in utter incoherence and confusion?
"Crime and Punishment" is a meaningless, maddening maze with no point, no beginning and no end, no purpose, no plot and especially, no prose.
This review is my opinion of "Crime and Punishment". Yours may be different. I can respect and appreciate it even if I do not understand it. By the same token, I should practice less defensiveness and more detachment next time someone tosses aside my most beloved novels or movies. We are unique individuals and the only thing that matters is that we always be true to what we like without predisposed notion, peer pressure, and outside influences.
"I would like to read you on a complete disaster of a book and why it should be buried!!"
My eccentric Scottish friend sent me these words well over a year ago - and how I have wondered if I would fulfill that request at some point. Well Alastair, you get your wish. This one is for you! Here is why I think Crime and Punishment should be "buried"!
I will tell you why I found "Crime and Punishment" to be a miserable read and yet how reading such a book can shape our attitude towards the differences of opinion and style.
Not all classics are created equal and call me crazy but I hardly consider Dostoevsky altogether an author, much less one of the prestigious classical breed!
The plot - a young student murdering an old, unpleasant pawn-broker and having to deal with the psychological aftermath - could have been promising, if not for the story telling, the writing style, the character depiction. In short, if not written by Dostoevsky.
He goes into monstrous proportions of expressing everything in the characters' minds without relating any one thing to another or tying any of it to the overall plot in even a remotely tangible way. He - the author - is nearly as disturbed and as much on the verge of insanity as his protagonist, Rascolnikov, and while it may sound fascinating, it does not bode well for story-telling of any kind. He subjects us to every unfinished thought, every draft of an idea, every whim and notion, every passing fancy, fantasy and delusion in Rascolnikov's head and yet does not allow us to arrive at any possible sensible conclusion. Following either a conversation or a monologue anywhere in the book is akin to going on a winding roller coaster ride without the remotest thrill - and repeating that cycle a few hundred times until the last page of the book.
It is this miserable style of Dostoevsky's story telling which numbed my interest and robbed me of any compassion toward any character whatsoever, for how could an author inspire our compassion or interest when he insists on not telling the story and on not communicating with the reader and instead on leading us on a path which ends in utter incoherence and confusion?
"Crime and Punishment" is a meaningless, maddening maze with no point, no beginning and no end, no purpose, no plot and especially, no prose.
This review is my opinion of "Crime and Punishment". Yours may be different. I can respect and appreciate it even if I do not understand it. By the same token, I should practice less defensiveness and more detachment next time someone tosses aside my most beloved novels or movies. We are unique individuals and the only thing that matters is that we always be true to what we like without predisposed notion, peer pressure, and outside influences.
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing."
fyodor, i fear your melancholy and existential writing style has captivated me. firstly, this book is phenomenally written. i believe i will be thinking of the above quote for the rest of my life (as well as so many other incredible passages). the last 200 pages were particularly riveting, i could not put the book down and read parts 5-6 in one sitting.
i will say, however, that this book did take me 2.5 months to finish - which is quite long for me - mostly because 1) i kept flipping to the footnotes to better understand the context, thus making it a longer comprehension process and 2) i kept getting confused by the very Russian custom of every character having at least 6 different names. so that definitely made it drag at certain parts, but overall, i definitely want to reread at some point.
4.5/5
fyodor, i fear your melancholy and existential writing style has captivated me. firstly, this book is phenomenally written. i believe i will be thinking of the above quote for the rest of my life (as well as so many other incredible passages). the last 200 pages were particularly riveting, i could not put the book down and read parts 5-6 in one sitting.
i will say, however, that this book did take me 2.5 months to finish - which is quite long for me - mostly because 1) i kept flipping to the footnotes to better understand the context, thus making it a longer comprehension process and 2) i kept getting confused by the very Russian custom of every character having at least 6 different names. so that definitely made it drag at certain parts, but overall, i definitely want to reread at some point.
4.5/5
yeah I’ve been reading this book for absolute yonks but it’s only because the first 100 pages put me off SO BADLY because of marmeladov’s 15 page monologue and the never-ending letter from raskolnikov’s mother but after that, the book was SO, SO good. it’s interesting to see how everyone loves raskolnikov regardless of the acts he has committed and how sonya loved him so much that she followed him to siberia AND then the scene when he was in prison and realised he loved her too but he didn’t even have to say anything because sonya just KNEW. oh Lordy lord tears came to my eyes
also the random pedo that got added in who killed himself???? no offense but I did not get the point in his character but I suppose he could show raskolnikov’s sense of justice and how he did not see his own crimes as bad but svid—- (blah, blah, blah, I can’t remember his full name)’s crimes were awful and terrible. also when he killed himself I was so shocked but YAY!
also part five was literally crazy and my favourite part, I read it all in one sitting and it was just too interesting??? I liked how it was basically all from pyotr petrovich’s point of view even though I hated him. it also really gave us insight into sonya’s character and katerina’s further and I think that katerina might have been one of my favourite characters
LASTLY (best until last)…..RAZUMIKHIN! loml… baby… husband… bae… i love you….. never change…. what a great man you are!!!! I need a friend like that in my life
also the random pedo that got added in who killed himself???? no offense but I did not get the point in his character but I suppose he could show raskolnikov’s sense of justice and how he did not see his own crimes as bad but svid—- (blah, blah, blah, I can’t remember his full name)’s crimes were awful and terrible. also when he killed himself I was so shocked but YAY!
also part five was literally crazy and my favourite part, I read it all in one sitting and it was just too interesting??? I liked how it was basically all from pyotr petrovich’s point of view even though I hated him. it also really gave us insight into sonya’s character and katerina’s further and I think that katerina might have been one of my favourite characters
LASTLY (best until last)…..RAZUMIKHIN! loml… baby… husband… bae… i love you….. never change…. what a great man you are!!!! I need a friend like that in my life
dark
emotional
tense
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