Crime and Punishment

by Andrew Jay Hoffman (Adapter)

The talented Alex Jennings creates an atmosphere of gripping psychological tension and brings a variety of characters to life in this new audio edition of a crime classic. When the student Raskolnikov puts his philosophical theory to the ultimate test of murder, a tragic tale of suffering and redemption unfolds in the dismal setting of the slums of czarist, prerevolutionary St. Petersburg. While Jennings's adept repertoire of British accents works to demonstrate the varying classes of characters, it occasionally distracts the listener from the Russian setting. However, Dostoyevsky's rendering of 18th-century Russia emerges unscathed, bringing the dark pathos (such as wretched poverty and rampant suffering) to life. (Running time: 315 minutes; 4 cassettes)

64 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This classic novel by Dostoyevsky is a very complex one, to truly understand it you must know a bit about the Russian Empire in the middle of the nineteenth century. The novel was published in 1866, shortly after the emancipation of the serfs and after Dostoyevsky experienced a period of imprisonment and exile to Siberia.
The main character is Raskolnikov, a poor student that commits the murder of an old woman and then descends into a deep psychological mood. He then is convinced that everyone knows of his guilt but is only toying with his mental state. The punishment in this case is largely self-inflicted. While there are many reasons for Raskolnikov to feel oppressed and desperate, he immediately falls into a psychological well after killing the woman.
There is some simplification of the story in order to pack it into a short graphic novel. Yet, it does capture the essence of a novel that is a powerful piece of literature about Russia and some of the contradictions inherent in the days of the Czars. It can also serve as a quick primer on the novel for high school classes in world literature.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it better than the novel

[Theophilus (Theo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brought back memories of my high school lit classes and one of the ways I used to skate by, reading Classics Illustrated. This edition of what I call a true graphic novel, brings Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Rodion Raskolnikov to the visual sense in a way prose alone could not for me. This story of a mentally tortured student's dilemma after murdering his pawnbroker and her daughter. He feels the world is a better place without a person that feeds on the misery of others, but he knows at the same time that killing is wrong. His conscience torments his soul until he is on the verge of madness. In the end he finds peace, but at what expense? The Classics Illustrated is still an excellent vehicle to introduce young people to material that has stood the test of time and may whet the literary appetite of reluctant readers. It's also good for refreshing the memory of habitual readers of something they read long ago.