A review by yooniereads
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Dostoyevsky's writing, or at least the translation of it, is something I have to actively get my head in to. A lot of people described this book as "existential", and I think it's an accurate description. It wonderfully and hauntingly presents you the psyche of Raskolnikov when he takes control of his destiny in the worst possible way.

Existentialism posits that a person is solely responsible and in control of his actions and destiny. A thought, I think, perfectly summarized by the following quote:

To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's. 

The writing is very... of its time. However, I enjoyed how guilt and morality is presented in such a thought-provoking way. Granted, I read this for a philosophy class, and I certainly have more to say about it philosophically. But in the literary sense, it's a good murder story told from the perspective of the murderer if you're okay with working through big chunks of text. 
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