Ancient's review
Crime and Punishment
by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Richard Pevear, Larissa Volokhonsky
A lot of my views on Russian literature changed a LOT after I lived there for a summer. We (Americans) are so different culturally (duh!), and have very different expectations from form, pace, and narrative. I really think this is a great novel, and the translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky is an essential choice. I'm not here to convince you - but it also reads differently as you get older. I have come to appreciate it more and more as I have read it again over the years. I also am not convinced it's Dostoevsky's greatest work (Demons? Brothers Karamazov? The Idiot?). I also loved Notes from Underground...
If you like that book, you might check out Beckett's post-war trilogy (Malloy, Malone Dies, The Unnameable) - I see it as one of the more successful descendants of Dostoevsky's great first-person narrative.
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?
Ancient's review
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Richard Pevear, Larissa Volokhonsky
Ancient's review
rating:
bookshelves:
classics
recommended for: hmm... don't know if I really can (see review)
Rated 3 stars for being good in parts but uneven on the whole.
Crime and Punishment was on my personal to-read list for a long time. I was really excited to read more of Dostoevksy since Notes from the Underground is one of my all time favorite books. On top of that people had personally recommended C&P to me, and it's considered to be among the greatest classics of all time.
So, I got around to reading it. And honestly, I was disappointed.
A case of having too high of expectations? Probably. Here's the thing, C&P is a 500 (or so) page novel that's at least 300 pages too long. I started and gave up on C&P at least two times before because the introductory chapters are so boring. Things just start to get really interesting right when we reach the crime part of the novel, but then Dostoevsky once again brings back in characters and situations that I couldn't care less about.
I'm no Dostoevsky or C&P expert. ...more
Crime and Punishment was on my personal to-read list for a long time. I was really excited to read more of Dostoevksy since Notes from the Underground is one of my all time favorite books. On top of that people had personally recommended C&P to me, and it's considered to be among the greatest classics of all time.
So, I got around to reading it. And honestly, I was disappointed.
A case of having too high of expectations? Probably. Here's the thing, C&P is a 500 (or so) page novel that's at least 300 pages too long. I started and gave up on C&P at least two times before because the introductory chapters are so boring. Things just start to get really interesting right when we reach the crime part of the novel, but then Dostoevsky once again brings back in characters and situations that I couldn't care less about.
I'm no Dostoevsky or C&P expert. ...more
A lot of my views on Russian literature changed a LOT after I lived there for a summer. We (Americans) are so different culturally (duh!), and have very different expectations from form, pace, and narrative. I really think this is a great novel, and the translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky is an essential choice. I'm not here to convince you - but it also reads differently as you get older. I have come to appreciate it more and more as I have read it again over the years. I also am not convinced it's Dostoevsky's greatest work (Demons? Brothers Karamazov? The Idiot?). I also loved Notes from Underground...
If you like that book, you might check out Beckett's post-war trilogy (Malloy, Malone Dies, The Unnameable) - I see it as one of the more successful descendants of Dostoevsky's great first-person narrative.
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?
Thanks for the imput. So, what exactly about C&P would make it a more obviously greater read to a Russian vs. a non-Russian reader? And how does it read differently with age? I'm genuinely curious, as I was genuinely disappointed after slogging through what seemed to me to be many pages of irrelevant, boring side plots about marriage proposals, and our main protagonist doing a whole lot of nothing.
I want to like C&P more than I do. So, what's the deal here anyway?