History & Criticism
![Fyodor Dostoyevsky - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B000APYSC6.jpg)
Crime and Punishment
The two years before he wrote Crime and Punishment (1866) had been bad ones for Dostoyevsky. His wife and brother had died; the magazine he and his brother had started, Epoch, collapsed under its load of debt; and he was threatened with debtor's prison. With an advance that he managed to wangle for an unwritten novel, he fled to Wiesbaden, hoping to win enough at the roulette table to get himself out of debt. Instead, he lost all his money; he had to pawn his clothes and beg friends for loans to pay his hotel bill and get back to Russia. One of his begging letters went to a magazine editor, asking for an advance on yet another unwritten novel - which he described as Crime and Punishment.
One of the supreme masterpieces of world literature, Crime and Punishment catapulted Dostoyevsky to the forefront of Russian writers and into the ranks of the world's greatest novelists. Drawing upon experiences from his own prison days, the author recounts in feverish, compelling tones the story of Raskolnikov, an impoverished student tormented by his own nihilism, and the struggle between good and evil. Believing that he is above the law, and convinced that humanitarian ends justify vile means, he brutally murders an old woman - a pawnbroker whom he regards as "stupid, ailing, greedy…good for nothing." Overwhelmed afterwards by feelings of guilt and terror, Raskolnikov confesses to the crime and goes to prison. There he realizes that happiness and redemption can only be achieved through suffering. Infused with forceful religious, social, and philosophical elements, the novel was an immediate success. This extraordinary, unforgettable work is reprinted here in the authoritative Constance Garnett translation.
A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
One of the supreme masterpieces of world literature, Crime and Punishment catapulted Dostoyevsky to the forefront of Russian writers and into the ranks of the world's greatest novelists. Drawing upon experiences from his own prison days, the author recounts in feverish, compelling tones the story of Raskolnikov, an impoverished student tormented by his own nihilism, and the struggle between good and evil. Believing that he is above the law, and convinced that humanitarian ends justify vile means, he brutally murders an old woman - a pawnbroker whom he regards as "stupid, ailing, greedy…good for nothing." Overwhelmed afterwards by feelings of guilt and terror, Raskolnikov confesses to the crime and goes to prison. There he realizes that happiness and redemption can only be achieved through suffering. Infused with forceful religious, social, and philosophical elements, the novel was an immediate success. This extraordinary, unforgettable work is reprinted here in the authoritative Constance Garnett translation.
A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
Readers Top Reviews
Miss M. ChowdhuryLee
If you've read Russian literature before, then you know what I mean when I say that thier language (even when translated) sounds modern and brisk. The story of Raskolnikov's struggle for food and shelter whilst trying to keep a sain mind is more that what it appears. Social, political and philosophical issues are not far from the surface of the novel and even when some characters went on a tangent about these things, you could only read and wonder. It's a book that makes you think. Can Murder be justified? What responsibility does society take for its people? Is the mind ever valued? What exactly is honour? By the 2nd chapter I was engrossed and found the langauge to flow and keep me going with its current. The kindle version was great. Next to no mistakes and well translated.
I was sort of skeptical to read this book because it was written so long ago but so many people considered it a classic that I had to try it. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this book and it was written very well. It was more than just a story of a crime but also a love story. A story of devotion, redemption, and guilt. The story was sort of slow at the beginning but definitely made up for it in the end.
Araceli Marcaccini
I loved it in so many ways, all the context it’s beyond and more than I can expected . I was really tired this romance like everything going well and the gonna be happy until the end amem OH BOY , so I bought this one because my friend told me it’s better than everything you already read. And it’s .
RJ from Duluth
This book is in every top 100 novels list and for good reason. Maybe it's just me but I love classical Russian literature. There are real insights into the human condition; the human mind; wealth and poverty; power and weakness. Good stuff. As for the book seller, the book came as described and fairly quickly.
Don't be a Horse's A
WAT? This crappy book has no page numbers and there are probably fewer than 100 pages, whereas Crime and Punishment is between 500 and 700 pages. There is no publisher listed nor any other info on or inside the cover. It is a CRIME to pass this off to Amazon readers as a complete book and should be PUNISHMENT to go with it. Incredible!
