Crime and Punishment (Penguin Classics) Paperback – 30 Jan. 2003

The clothbound editions from Penguin are a really wonderfully printed set of books and this one is no exception. Crime and Punishment is also a fantastic story. If you're looking to read Dostoyevsky, I'd recommend reading Crime and Punishment before moving onto The Brothers Karamazov. Both are excellent.

The current Ukrainian conflict has brought into focus how differently many Russians seem to view the world, so it felt timely to read this classic novel and compare it to works by contemporary British novelists such as Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell. In the same way that Putin, although constantly dealing in falsehoods, appears disinterested in Soviet-style depictions of utopian Russian society, so Dostoyevsky seems content to portray a dysfunctional and bleak St. Petersburg whilst evidently still convinced of the perceived evils of Western liberalism. I suppose the point is that, like Dickens, he was predominantly writing to entertain a domestic audience. The book does refer to topical philosophical and political debates but the author only subtly alludes to his own views (most notably concerning morality and the merits of religious faith).I don't think I've ever read a novel before that's so heavily comprised of dialogue; indeed many chapters are essentially a conversation between two (and sometimes a larger group) of characters. The scenes Dostoyevsky creates are consistently vivid and the exchanges credible: this is due to the skill not only of the author but also the translator. Occasionally you come across words, such as drinking-den, which you suspect sound much more evocative in Russian, but generally the English text flows well. Although there is a fair degree of plot overall, there are stretches in the book where not much is actually happening, providing an interesting contrast to Dickens. The fact that the latter tended to publish in weekly instalments, whereas Dostoyevsky apparently published each of 6 parts in one go, may go some way towards explaining this clear difference in styles.The book is not difficult to read, but I confess that the complexity of the names (and interchangeability of familiar and formal forms) drove me to the internet a few times to check I wasn't confusing different characters. The most unsatisfying part of the novel is its short epilogue ending, when the main protagonist undergoes a sudden shift in attitude that's hard to find entirely plausible. But I won't say any more about the plot, except to say that the main concept suggested by the title is masterful and wonderfully sustained.Finally a plea to publishing houses. Why they persist in putting pretentious essays that give away the entire plot as the introduction to classic literature is beyond me. Hopefully, like me, you will enjoy the book first and, if you can be bothered, scan through the scholarly opinions afterwards.

This is a classic for a reason. I can’t really do it justice in a shirt review but all I’ll say is READ THIS BOOK.I did deduct star as the red on the cover has begun to fade, which isn’t great considering the price tag.

I feel inadequate as I try to review this classic novel. In essence the story is a simple one and there are relatively few characters for a book of considerable length. The problem for any reviewer relates to the depth and breadth of Dostoevsky's analysis of the human mind and human emotions. The central character - Raskolnikov - is the blue eyed boy of a Russian family. He is in St Petersburg studying law but his life has fallen apart. He is as poor as a church mouse, lives in a tiny, filthy room and cannot even afford to eat properly. He contrives an extraordinary plan to escape from his horror, and the plan involves killing and robbing an elderly lady who is a moneylender. The money will allow him to start afresh, and the long term good he will do will more than atone for the murder. There are long sections of dialogue which examine this concept in detail, with Raskolnikov dividing people into the achievers -the Napoleons of this world - and the others. In many ways, I felt the book was presented more in the style of a play than a novel. Long and detailed conversations take place between Raskalinikov, his friend Razumikhin, the persistent detective Purfiry, the rescued prostitute Sonya and the villain and "hero" Svidrigailov. Religion and faith pervade the book with full quotations of the biblical account of the raising of Lazarus from the dead and detailed references to the book of Revelation. The plot is simple yet tortuous and death pervades the pages. The complexity of Dostoevsky's own life and thinking makes one think there are elements of autobiography in the narrative.The overall tone is gloomy but I am glad to have read it and will not forget the central characters.