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_diescutely 's review for:
Crime and Punishment
by Fyodor Dostoevsky
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
***Spoilers***
I finally finished it. After probably an embarrassingly amount of time. I’m crushed.
This book deserves it’s title of the classic of the classics. I read parts of this book for law class back in high school but never actually finished the book. Reading it again though was well worth it.
As with nearly all of dostoevsky’s writing, the characters were all phenomenally well written. No character was the same, all with their own individual challenges, fears and motivations.
The most compelling part of this book is that no one was *truly* the villain. Nearly all of the characters did at least one evil thing in these books, but they were all for complicated motivations. Raskolnikov murdered the sisters because he felt bad for relying on his family to support him, Sonia sold herself into prostitution to save her family that was being struck by illness and alcoholism. Even the most vilest character in the book, Svidrigailov still had is own reasoning for his actions to his dead wife and being obsessed with Dunia. It’s all so very complicated.
The only parts of the book I didn’t enjoy was the rambling. It made it very hard to get through. I found this too with Notes From Underground. Really good book plot wise, but definitely could have skipped the meaningless rambling that really paid no respect to the story itself. I found the pacing uneven, where parts of the book were really exciting and things were happening and then you get stuck on a nearly 25 paged chapter that only consisted of one conversation with two people. (Also that long epilogue was insane!!!)
I debated on giving it 5 stars, but I think it was a solid 4.5 in my books. Worth the read. Will read again.
I finally finished it. After probably an embarrassingly amount of time. I’m crushed.
This book deserves it’s title of the classic of the classics. I read parts of this book for law class back in high school but never actually finished the book. Reading it again though was well worth it.
As with nearly all of dostoevsky’s writing, the characters were all phenomenally well written. No character was the same, all with their own individual challenges, fears and motivations.
The most compelling part of this book is that no one was *truly* the villain. Nearly all of the characters did at least one evil thing in these books, but they were all for complicated motivations. Raskolnikov murdered the sisters because he felt bad for relying on his family to support him, Sonia sold herself into prostitution to save her family that was being struck by illness and alcoholism. Even the most vilest character in the book, Svidrigailov still had is own reasoning for his actions to his dead wife and being obsessed with Dunia. It’s all so very complicated.
The only parts of the book I didn’t enjoy was the rambling. It made it very hard to get through. I found this too with Notes From Underground. Really good book plot wise, but definitely could have skipped the meaningless rambling that really paid no respect to the story itself. I found the pacing uneven, where parts of the book were really exciting and things were happening and then you get stuck on a nearly 25 paged chapter that only consisted of one conversation with two people. (Also that long epilogue was insane!!!)
I debated on giving it 5 stars, but I think it was a solid 4.5 in my books. Worth the read. Will read again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse
Minor: Homophobia, Antisemitism