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A review by christinecc
The Sinner and the Saint: Dostoevsky and the Gentleman Murderer Who Inspired a Masterpiece by Kevin Birmingham
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I'll keep this as short and non-scary as I can for a book about Dostoevsky and (checks notes) murder. And to be honest, I don't have to try hard at all because this book has just the right balance of everything.
"The Sinner and the Saint" sounds like it's going to focus on Dostoevsky's masterpiece "Crime and Punishment," but really it's all about the lead-up to that book and then where it took the author's career.
The lead-up is much longer than the aftermath, probably because Kevin Birmingham's account is split down the middle. We have half the book dedicated to our famous Russian author, and the other half centers on a man who was executed the same year that Dostoevsky turned fifteen. This man is a French murderer called Pierre François Lacenaire, and he is part of what inspired Dostoesvky's murderer protagonist, Raskolnikov.
Lacenaire's story is fascinating, not so much because of his life but more because of the phenomenon he represented. Early 19th century France had a real true crime phase, not unlike the one we've observed in the U.S. for the last few years. Anyway, "The Sinner and the Saint" does a great job of summarizing the Lacenaire case, its media circus, and what made the account stand out enough for it to eventually make its way into Dostoevsky's hands years later. I wish there had been a more chronological treatment of his criminal career, the jumping back and forth got a little confusing halfway through. Still very well told. The Dostoesvky biographic parts were much more gripping for me, but I was never much of a true crime enthusiast.
Even if you haven't read Dostoesvky before, this is a really interesting intro to the author and his work, and it will make you appreciate how much the author went through so that we, over a hundred years later, could feel too intimidated to pick up his novels. Dostoesvky is more approachable than you think, and Kevin Birmingham knows how to bring that out in this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Press for sending me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The Sinner and the Saint" sounds like it's going to focus on Dostoevsky's masterpiece "Crime and Punishment," but really it's all about the lead-up to that book and then where it took the author's career.
The lead-up is much longer than the aftermath, probably because Kevin Birmingham's account is split down the middle. We have half the book dedicated to our famous Russian author, and the other half centers on a man who was executed the same year that Dostoevsky turned fifteen. This man is a French murderer called Pierre François Lacenaire, and he is part of what inspired Dostoesvky's murderer protagonist, Raskolnikov.
Lacenaire's story is fascinating, not so much because of his life but more because of the phenomenon he represented. Early 19th century France had a real true crime phase, not unlike the one we've observed in the U.S. for the last few years. Anyway, "The Sinner and the Saint" does a great job of summarizing the Lacenaire case, its media circus, and what made the account stand out enough for it to eventually make its way into Dostoevsky's hands years later. I wish there had been a more chronological treatment of his criminal career, the jumping back and forth got a little confusing halfway through. Still very well told. The Dostoesvky biographic parts were much more gripping for me, but I was never much of a true crime enthusiast.
Even if you haven't read Dostoesvky before, this is a really interesting intro to the author and his work, and it will make you appreciate how much the author went through so that we, over a hundred years later, could feel too intimidated to pick up his novels. Dostoesvky is more approachable than you think, and Kevin Birmingham knows how to bring that out in this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Press for sending me a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder