Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Raskolnikov, a penniless and desperate former student, wanders by himself in St. Petersburg’s slums while hallucinating that he is exempt from social norms. But when he murders at random, nothing but agony results. Raskolnikov discovers that the rope of his own guilt is becoming increasingly tight around his neck as he engages in a risky game of cat and mouse with a doubtful police detective. The only person who can provide the chance of redemption is prostitute Sonya.
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
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- Binding : Paperback
- Pages : 752
- Publisher : Penguin Classics
Raskolnikov, who aspires to be the ultimate gentleman and wants to “be a man, not a louse,” paradoxically takes Napoleon’s example and is willing to sacrifice OTHERS for his own ends, becoming less human and more like a parasite that feeds on the blood of others. My only little quibble with the copy I have is the cover art; while it is awesome, Raskolnikov is depicted as a spooky, crusty older man, not the young, handsome, and yes, disturbed character he is in the book.
It could be classified as a crime book. However, as opposed to it, it is similar to an existential psychological thriller. You observe the protagonist’s gradual demise. It seems like the ideal crime for Raskolnikov, a student, to kill his former landlady and hide it. He does not understand, however, that there is no such thing as a perfect crime because the offender must deal with the repercussions.
