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329 reviews
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Michael R Katz
Of course, interpretations of this novel are many and they are varied. I'm not sure I buy into Dostoevsky's vision of redemption and suffering in its most distilled form. What I bought into then and even more so now is his bleak view of human nature in the abstract and on a societal level, but his resounding belief in the capacity of the individual to be kind, generous, and decent. In other words, to give and receive love. Where I may dispute some of Dostoevsky's conclusions, I'm not sure anyone has understood human nature and its implications more clearly and piercingly than he did. The ego unleashed is relentless and wildly unpredictable. Whether you are religious or not, we can all fall, lurching blindly and recklessly into the depths of depravity, resentment, and self-righteousness. Raskolnikov is a hauntingly relatable — and often deeply sympathetic — reminder to us all. Temper your arrogance before it smites you.
The other thing which struck me again and again is the lines of preternatural clarity. Dostoevsky possesses that ability which only the very greatest do. They distill and concentrate feelings, suspicions, ideas one may have about how and why we behave the way we do into a single quip or line. This, perhaps above anything else, is what sets Crime and Punishment apart.
5.0
It's 8 years since I first read Crime and Punishment and it remains as gripping, transformative, and powerful as the first time I read it at 17. One point to note, Katz's translation is infinitely superior to either McDuff or P&V and this is more obvious to me now I can actually read Russian.
There's very little to say about C&P which hasn't been said. The polyphonic voices are extraordinary, Dostoevsky's psychological observations are perhaps more perceptive than any writer then or since, the richness of his characters and how lifelike they are is nearly unmatched.
Reading it now versus then, I feel its gravitas and weight both lessened and increased. As a more mature reader who has now read nearly all of Dostoevsky's oeuvre, I felt it hit me more personally, viscerally and deeply. Perhaps counterintuitively, I also came at it with a much more refined and critical eye. The first time I read C&P I deeply appreciated it, but was also at a stage where I was ticking off the masterpieces. This time I felt it in a much rawer manner and allowed it to genuinely wash over me. Dostoevsky's meticulous dissection of human folly, of the brooding youth, of the allure of abstractions and the chimera of ideas resonated deeply. At times, I saw myself in Raskolnikov and also Razumikhin. I sometimes even bristled with indignation.
There's very little to say about C&P which hasn't been said. The polyphonic voices are extraordinary, Dostoevsky's psychological observations are perhaps more perceptive than any writer then or since, the richness of his characters and how lifelike they are is nearly unmatched.
Reading it now versus then, I feel its gravitas and weight both lessened and increased. As a more mature reader who has now read nearly all of Dostoevsky's oeuvre, I felt it hit me more personally, viscerally and deeply. Perhaps counterintuitively, I also came at it with a much more refined and critical eye. The first time I read C&P I deeply appreciated it, but was also at a stage where I was ticking off the masterpieces. This time I felt it in a much rawer manner and allowed it to genuinely wash over me. Dostoevsky's meticulous dissection of human folly, of the brooding youth, of the allure of abstractions and the chimera of ideas resonated deeply. At times, I saw myself in Raskolnikov and also Razumikhin. I sometimes even bristled with indignation.
Reality and nature sometimes undercut the most far-sighted calculation.
Give yourself over to life, without deliberation.
In order to act intelligently -- intelligence alone is not enough.
Of course, interpretations of this novel are many and they are varied. I'm not sure I buy into Dostoevsky's vision of redemption and suffering in its most distilled form. What I bought into then and even more so now is his bleak view of human nature in the abstract and on a societal level, but his resounding belief in the capacity of the individual to be kind, generous, and decent. In other words, to give and receive love. Where I may dispute some of Dostoevsky's conclusions, I'm not sure anyone has understood human nature and its implications more clearly and piercingly than he did. The ego unleashed is relentless and wildly unpredictable. Whether you are religious or not, we can all fall, lurching blindly and recklessly into the depths of depravity, resentment, and self-righteousness. Raskolnikov is a hauntingly relatable — and often deeply sympathetic — reminder to us all. Temper your arrogance before it smites you.
The other thing which struck me again and again is the lines of preternatural clarity. Dostoevsky possesses that ability which only the very greatest do. They distill and concentrate feelings, suspicions, ideas one may have about how and why we behave the way we do into a single quip or line. This, perhaps above anything else, is what sets Crime and Punishment apart.