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Crime and Punishment

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Start date: July 1, 2017

Finish date: September 30, 2017

Discussion: Group Reads

Why we're reading this: Co-Winner - Big Read Poll - July through September2017

Winner of the THIS and THAT poll for December 2015
[close] Co-Winner - Big Read Poll - July through September2017

Winner of the THIS and THAT poll for December 2015

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What Members Thought

Aug 31, 2011 Michelle Bacon rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you

This story is a powerful one about Rodion Romanovich. His is a young man growing up in Russia during a difficult time where poverty has stricken many and the consumption runs rampant. In an act of rage and greed, Rodion commits murder on an old female pawnshop owner then hides the money way off in a field under a stone. He carries on with his daily rountine like normal, but all the while guilt has taken over and started to play games with his head.
He confesses his crime to his prostitue friend, ...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Janet rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Loved the psychological cat and mouse game that Porfiry Petrovich played with Raskolnikov in questioning(accusing) him about his crime.

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May 23, 2021 Naga Sravika Bodapati rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1001-before-die, classics, crime

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostyovesky

Rating 4/5

A classic book. Touted as one of the best works of Fyodor Dostyovesky, master of Russian literature. I was somehow not as moved or touched reading the story although it is quite different from regular crime/thriller books. Different in the sense that there is a crime committed but no real investigation or concrete evidence found to really implicate the culprit than pure theory and psychological analysis..

Getting into the story, Raskolnikov is Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostyovesky

Rating 4/5

A classic book. Touted as one of the best works of Fyodor Dostyovesky, master of Russian literature. I was somehow not as moved or touched reading the story although it is quite different from regular crime/thriller books. Different in the sense that there is a crime committed but no real investigation or concrete evidence found to really implicate the culprit than pure theory and psychological analysis..

Getting into the story, Raskolnikov is a law student who is very poor. Having no money he drops out of college and falls into a stuporous state of depression. He spends nights and days locked in his cubbyhole of a room eating nothing and constantly shifting in and out of delirious dreams. One day as though with no preformed/premeditated plan - he murders a rich old woman who is a cruel pawnbroker along with her sister. He almost gets caught during the act but chance helps him to escape. Although he steals her money,he hides it away under a stone in a remote location making little use of it.

By nature he is an extremely compassionate person to the point of giving away all his money to strangers and going hungry himself. So why did he do the murder? Is it an act of momentary insanity? Or was he lead to it by delusional higher ideals? No one would have ever found it out if he had not made some stupid moves like confessing to a police man (how stupid must he be really!?) and acting strange at the mention of the murder..so eventually a clever and astute police officer comes in the form of Porfiry Petrovich...and it's intriguing to read on how he leads to the truth to come out despite not showing any real evidence.. How the hero spends his time in prison repenting not for committing the crime ( no he has no guilt) but because he fell for the words of this detective..

Although there is hope for a better and brighter things to come for both Raskolnikov and Sonya at the end.. Given his nature of uncertain actions and impulsive behavior - we might have to read another book on their together if written!!🥱🥱🥱

Not a bad book altogether - just didn't feel the tension build up except at certain times..!! 😐 😐😐☺ ...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Jenbebookish rated it it was ok

I hate this book. Too little crime, wayyyyy too much punishment. I get it, that the whole point of the story is to show raskys slow & miserable descent into insanity because of his guilt, but enough already!

1 like · Like · see review