Released: 1866 (Original release)
Genre: Society, Crime, Philosophy
Number of Pages: 434
Widely considered one of the pioneering Russian stories, Crime and Punishment is the first critically acclaimed release from Fyodor Dostoevsky, one that taps into a darker side of society and the moral dilemmas therein.
Rodion Raskolnikov is a young man living in poverty in St Petersburg; formerly a law student, he has been mulling a plan to murder an elderly pawnbroker and steal her wealth. At first he is unable to work up the motivation but soon commits the deed. This creates a cascading effect of internal and external destabilisation. The protagonist is wracked with endless paranoia and those around him grow more apprehensive. What makes the story work so well is the lead perspective; stories that place the reader into the mind-set of a criminal were few and far between in the mid-1800s. This also creates some dramatic tension with several moments where Rodion narrowly avoids capture.
Split into five parts and an epilogue, Crime and Punishment relies heavily on conversations and meetings between characters. As Raskolnikov bottles up his inner guilt and avoids suspicious eyes, he takes part in many discussions on the titular themes. Interventions from his mother and sister and his university friend Razumikhin also enter the fray as the group engages in some tense social outings. What drives a person to commit a criminal act? How do poverty and depression influence their behaviour? When do the guilty confess to their misdeeds? These questions are constantly on display throughout the story.
With any older prose, the chapters are much longer and more drawn out, but they pack in a high amount of detail. The novel is also defined by relationships; Raskolnikov is smitten with the young Sonya and his sister Dunia is courted by the older aristocrat Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov. This drives many of the more heated arguments while also informing individual actions. With the narrative dealing with extreme poverty, Crime and Punishment often adopts a bleaker tone, especially when Rodion converses with a drunkard who threw away his fortune and plunged his family into the gutter.
Recommended?
YES: Crime and Punishment is a very wordy and contemplative novel, but it stands out for its sense of perspective and wider commentary. It takes the reader behind the eyes of a murderer and examines the effect of crime on wider society. If you’re able to tear into an older style and tone, the book remains just as engaging as it was over a century ago.
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