A review by thecriticalreader
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

dark 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

 
Review:
As much as I tried not to, I entered Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment with a few preconceived notions based on people’s recommendation of the book. First, that this book is about a man who commits murder and his subsequent psychological unraveling—and while this description is not wrong, exactly, it’s a bit like describing Moby-Dick as a book about a man who hunts a whale for revenge. Crime and Punishment encompasses a lot more than the main character’s inner turmoil, with a wide cast of characters and complex plot. Second, I was told that this book would profoundly affect me emotionally and/or send me into an existential crisis, which it didn’t. Misconceptions aside, I loved Crime and Punishment. The characters are strong and well-realized, the plot is engrossing, and the book raises intriguing points about morality. My only complaints are that the first and second section are too long (I got sick of reading about the main protagonist’s unstable mental state) and that at times the plot relied on some rather convenient coincidences. 
 
The Run-Down: 
You will probably like Crime and Punishment . . . 
·      If you like classic literature, particular nineteenth-century literature
·      You enjoy books that delve into questions of morality and philosophy
 
You might not like Crime and Punishment . . . 
·      If you dislike long stretches of dialogue/rumination
·      If you are expecting a thriller or mystery
 
A Similar Book: Père Goriot by Honoré de Balzac (according to the footnotes in my edition, Crime and Punishment is actually partially inspired by Père Goriot, so the similarities are not coincidence! Similarities include . . .
·       An impoverished law student who moves to the big city away from his devoted mother and sister, who sacrifice a lot to send him to school
·       A protagonist who acts immorally in the face of poverty
·       A wide cast of characters navigating complex and unforgiving social systems
·       Themes exploring urban social ills, destitution, familial bonds, and morality
 
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