Crime and Punishment – book review

Raskolnikov is the embodiment of sin and redemption together in the novel Crime and Punishment by the great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. Moreover, if anyone wants to ascribe more to the character, he can well be seen as the living example of a chaotic psyche who almost goes bizarre as the novel deepens.

Crime and Punishment is one of the finest novels ever produced by an author from any country without the language barrier. It unfolds the situations and circumstances and the predicament that are of the highest order ever seen in the novels. Yes, you can surely find the parallels but to find something better might be doubtful to a large extent.

About the story and the plot, you can find very much on the internet and there is no need virtually to say further. There is a person (may be seen as a potential criminal as well) who plans to get rid of his troubles by using a shortcut and he does so after so much of consideration. However, digesting the sin isn’t easy for him and his behaviour becomes suspicious for the investigating detective and he becomes the prime suspect in the murder of the semi-old lady. He develops a relationship with a certain prostitute who is virtuous and begins the phase of atonement. He eventually goes to jail and begins the redemption from his sin only there.

To the readers:
As the novel is a little lengthier than the usual novels, you might need to invest some time reading this and also need to be alert because the events and the characters demand the readers’ attention more than you might see in the usual novels and by the usual characters. The plot is simple and straightforward but has been designed very decoratively by the author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Yes, the theme is somewhat grand or you can say it is wider than you might expect even after reading this. This is not a usual crime psyche story magnified into a novel form!

During the read, you will be fixed. Though not interestingly because at times the novel may fail to capture your attention because of the lengthy conversations and overtly protracted descriptions of the internal and external situations. Still, the novel will hold you in a grip and you will like reading it till the end. Classics are a bit offtrack, sometimes!

If you are interested in reading this novel, you can find the Amazon link to the paperback copy of Crime and Punishment below.

Crime and Punishment on Amazon – buy now

review by a regular contributor to DR