Dostoyevsky, Fyodor- Crime and Punishment "Relaxed Buddy Read"; Start date November 12, 2014***REVISIT starts September 15, 2018****REVISIT starts November 15, 2018***Revist starts January 10, 2019

[Sarah]

I will read a little more tonight. This will be slow going for me to my other BRs.

[Margaret]

C&P is can be challenging Sarah, you are doing great :) I don't think that there is any hurry really. There will be always someone ready to discuss the book with you.

[Sarah]

It is not challenging. I actually find this easier to read then most classics, at least my translation. And very intriguing. I could probably zip through it if it wasn't for all my other reads simultaneously. I am deviding up my time. I am enjoying it.

[Nicole]

Its that kind of a book, isn't it? The slow meandering of the tale sort of lends it to being read that way.

[Margaret]

oh good I am glad that you are enjoying it and boy I understand the how the buddy reads can slow you down. I actually have a bit of a reprieve until Dec 7th....though I better re-check that before I get too cocky!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

lol Margaret, you clearly haven't been to the BR thread enough then! :o

[Sarah]

Yeah - I think I have three BRs starting on Dec. 7th. I have gone a little cray cray.

[Nicole]

Yeah I've been thinking of rechecking my up coming buddy reads.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

It's a little frightening ;)

[Margaret]

I was trying to pick more up but the books didn't appeal to me, I probably should check though. I'll be back on the crazy treadmill, I have 7 in December! that will keep me busy. I just hope that all my books will come in by then. :P

[Margaret]

LOL! I just might start though I have never read him, Amanda would tease me on this one, we'll see how I like it.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

bahahaha
I have to read it for a RL book club which is why I instigated that BR ;)

[Margaret]

I have no excuses except to fill up my no BRs slot, oh boy what was I thinking? oh my Nicolas Sparks, ha! you never know I might turn into a huge fan! hehe

[Nicole]

Margaret wrote: "LOL! I just might start though I have never read him, Amanda would tease me on this one, we'll see how I like it."

Oh I'm doing that one too!! Looking forward to discussing that with many members of this lovely group we have had here for Crime and Punishment.

[Margaret]

Nicole....this will be fun. Perhaps we can put on our self imposed intellectual hats and blow them all out of the water over there with The Notebook! hehe

[Nicole]

Hahah, I reckon we'll do exactly that!! Although it's bound to be a much shorter buddy read, I feel.

[Margaret]

We can pick it apart and pull up all kinds of analogies and psychology and what have you....I'm being bad.

[Nicole]

You're being *wonderful* :D

[Srividya]

Margaret just for the sake of picking that book apart I am tempted to join in the BR for .Lol.. I only wish I hadn't signed up for other BRs where I am sadly lagging behind!

[Margaret]

Hey, since you mentioned it, now you have to! The folks on that thread might just have to boot the four of us out of there and shake their heads as to where we pop out of! Then the word got out that we hopped over from the Crime and Punishment thread and then they would know why! yep lol!

[Sarah]

Srividya wrote: "Margaret just for the sake of picking that book apart I am tempted to join in the BR for .Lol.. I only wish I hadn't signed up for other BRs where I am sadly lagging b..."

Whatever, I am sure your other BRs are just as good or better than Sparks.

[Srividya]

Lol Margaret.. and get risked being thrown out? ;)

Sarah - yeah they are definitely better than Sparks but still I want to see if the adult me can pick apart a book, which the teenage me quite liked ;) *cringes in shame*

[Nicole]

Oh you read The Notebook as a teen? Has anyone else read it before who will be reading it now? It's a first time for me.

[Margaret]

probably not....oh well, we will be good :) it will be interesting to see how you handle it. I have no clue how Sparks writes, guess I will find out.

[Srividya]

Yeah Nicole. I read it long back and quite liked it at that time. However, teenagers today find it sappy and not really that great. Wonder what that says about my taste when I was young! Lol

Incidentally has this BR already started? You are tempting me Margaret. Might just join in but only after I finish my current reads. :)

As for Sparks' writing style - I have to admit that I liked it when I read it but then I guess I either had a bad taste then or was an incurable romantic (which I still am).. so not sure what I will feel today :)

[Margaret]

oh oh.....I am not much of a "romantic" now if you throw some good gritty angst then I am happy, with life or death on the line, that would up the scale....I think reading a sappy novel might stretch me a bit. lol

[Srividya]

Am sure this would be really tame for you Margaret and quite out of your regular reading zone. This doesn't have much grit, although I barely remember the book! Now am curious to see your reactions after reading this one. :)

[Margaret]

me too, might actually be fun :)

[Sarah]

Part IV (view spoiler)[ so I wasn't expecting this, but I have come to the part where that married man, now a widow who is in love with Raskolnikov's sister, Svidrigailov, comes to meet Rasky and it seems they might be like kindred spirits. I have seen Rasky react to this man calmer and friendlier than anyone. My prediction is that he will help Rasky's sister not marry her fiance and it is my prediction that there is a love interest between Rasky's sister and that other dude that is Rasky's friend (hide spoiler)] - you know the one with the similar name.

[Margaret]

Sarah: sounds like you are about 3/4 the way done? Have you had the chance to read the spoilers along the way?

(view spoiler)[it will be fun to see if you predicted correctly. I never liked that Svidrigailov and interesting that you feel this connection between the two, I wonder if our protagonist related to their mutual criminal tendencies. I tried coming up with a better word but it totally escapes me! (hide spoiler)]

[Srividya]

Sarah you have reached one of my favourite parts of the book.

(view spoiler)[Now that's one thought that never struck me. Interesting indeed.. and it sounds like that, doesn't it? Raskolnikov's feeling of oneness towards Svidrigailov. Hmm I never liked the latter and was totally rooting for the former. They do make a strange combination. Am curious to know more about your reaction after you read this part and the story ahead. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Nicole wrote: "Oh you read The Notebook as a teen? Has anyone else read it before who will be reading it now? It's a first time for me."

First time for me too. You guys are making me quite excited to read it - always more fun with people ;)

[Sarah]

Margaret wrote: "Sarah: sounds like you are about 3/4 the way done? Have you had the chance to read the spoilers along the way?

[spoilers removed]"

Yes, I read the spoilers that I have read up to. I have only just read the first scene in part 4 so I will wait on these spoilers for now. I am more like 1/2 way done now.

[Margaret]

Sarah: oh cool! You are chugging right along and I hope the spoilers are clearly marked. I have been in and out of them all over the place, so I have forgotten :)

@Karen and "The Notebook" BR buddies: I have bailed on the book...so sorry! :( normally I will not bail but I did not like the writing at all! I discovered this well within the first chapter. I was already picking it apart and was thinking....do I have to read this?! OH NO! I have learned a long time ago not to force myself to read something I just can't tolerate. I didn't want to say on this on the actual thread. I was afraid that I would pull it down and discourage others to join in. So...there you go *sigh*

[Sarah]

Haha I finally finished part IV - (view spoiler)[ I was happy that Roske and his friend were able to put an end to the engagement of his sister. But Roske must be really freaking out his family with all his bizarre behavior. I totally think his friend is so smitten for Roski's sister and hope the get together. The detective definitely seems to suspect Roski, seems to be a lot of cat and mouse, and I think Roski is going to confess to Sonia. I also thought that Roski's friend may have figured it out as well. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

Karen wrote: "Part 4, end of chapter 4

This reads so much like an old radio serial. I love it. Gosh the end of this chapter... I absolutely did not see that coming! ..."

So far I actually find Svidrigailov one of the most intriguing characters. What is he up to?

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

@Margaret - sorry I just saw your note about The Notebook. Yes, it was pretty awful! haha
My RL bookclub that I had to read it for was interesting. We basically just laughed about it all night which was more fun than picking it apart ;) You weren't the only one to not manage to finish it!

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I agree Sarah. Svi... is a very interesting character

[Margaret]

Karen wrote: "@Margaret - sorry I just saw your note about The Notebook. Yes, it was pretty awful! haha
My RL bookclub that I had to read it for was interesting. We basically just laughed about it all night whic..."

lol....yep, I think I have been spoiled by good writing. I should have stayed and played and had a good laugh but other books were calling me :D

[Sarah]

I am not doing well at keeping characters straight but I am at the funeral and am so angry. (view spoiler)[Pyotr Petrovich has totally set up Sonia to make it look like she has stolen from him. Roskonichov totally killed the wrong person. Now is Pyotr the one that was engaged to Roskonichov's sister? I am not sure who he is. (hide spoiler)]

[Srividya]

Sarah (view spoiler)[Yes Petrovich is the same guy who was engaged to Raskolnikov's sister. He is really horrible isn't he? I hated when he tried that stunt. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

I am not done with this part yet so still not sure what will happen. I always take forever to get through classics. (view spoiler)[I am not sure if he is setting Sonia up or if it is Luzhin, or maybe they worked together. It is causing me anxiety. (hide spoiler)]

[Srividya]

Read ahead. If I tell you I might spoil it for you and I don't want to do that but it gets good, seriously good and you will like it!

[Margaret]

Sarah, you are chipping away at it, bravo! I hated that dirty rat, too tired to use the spoiler, lol, it is after midnight and I need to get to bed. :D

[Nancy]

Sarah, don't worry about how long it is taking, it is really worth it. I actually did a mammoth read and got the whole thing finished last week and it has been great to come back to this thread and revisit it and actually look at everyone's spoilers.

I was amazed by the book. It was so compelling. There were some pages that went on a bit, but I kept turning the pages because I wanted to know what happened. I agree, Pyotr Petrovich (view spoiler)[was absolutely awful. All the way through he was awful. I was so glad when Dunya told him to take a hike. And I couldn't believe that he set Sonya up. I had thought, when he invited her into his room, he was going to ask her to marry him instead because he wanted a woman to constantly be in thrall to him and to always be grovelingly grateful for what he had done for them. I could almost have forgiven him for that, but not for what he did (hide spoiler)]

I was never sure about Svidrigailov. I didn't hate him, I just felt sorry for him. I wasn't at all surprised (view spoiler)[ when he committed suicide. (hide spoiler)]

Also, the whole way through, I was really worried something was going to happen to Dunya. She was my favourite character and I really wanted things to work out for her in the end. (view spoiler)[ It was nice to have a sort of HEA ending for her (hide spoiler)]

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with the Epilogue. It felt a bit trite, a bit too neat and tidy. The book could almost have ended without it and I don't think it would have lost anything.

Anyway, despite this being an enormous undertaking, I loved it.

[Nancy]

Oh, one thing I did find interesting is the translation. Having learnt Russian back at University, I could see how some of the sentences would have worked so much better in Russian. This is one book I just wish I knew the language well enough to read it in the original. I get the sense that it would gain so much. Ah well...

[Sarah]

I am 80% done and to part IV. I am curious about Svidrigailov and his intentions. He is so weird.

[Margaret]

Sarah wrote: "I am 80% done and to part IV. I am curious about Svidrigailov and his intentions. He is so weird."

Wow! You are coming along pretty well! Yep, you got that one right, he is very weird.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

NancyHelen wrote: "Oh, one thing I did find interesting is the translation. Having learnt Russian back at University, I could see how some of the sentences would have worked so much better in Russian. This is one boo..."

I always wonder about that ; especially with classics. I wish I knew the language to be able to read it in the original form too

[Sarah]

Part VI, chapter 2 (view spoiler)[Probably me favorite conversation so far when Porfiry comes to Raskolnikov to tell him that he knows it was Rosky who committed the murder and urges him to confess, that he believes this is what he will choose to do. What a great scene. (hide spoiler)]