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A review by kmehegan6
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
4.0
I enjoyed this book! There are definitely a lot of issues esp. concerning antisemitism and some umm pedophilia? as well as some general narrative issues (so much plot happens in the mind), but it’s an engaging and mildly anxiety-inducing story that I found difficult to put down, which is more than I can say for a lot of the books I’ve been reading lately.
Quick thoughts:
• I loved Razumihin and Porfiry the most
• I almost threw up at Svidrigaïlov. Disgusting man
• Raskolnikov is the worst character in the world
• The horse nightmare?!?!?? I cried real tears. Real tears happened. Then my sister walked in and I had to explain I was crying over a fictional horse, which was imaginary anyway.
• Poor poor Sonia!! Raskolnikov does not deserve the ending. I missed the part where he was ever sorry about what he did
• Why do people always throw themselves at each other’s feet? This is a strange expression of affection.
• Pro tip: Read as much as you can at once because you’re not going to be able to remember 50% of the characters if they’re not fresh in your mind. They all have the same names.
• Would have enjoyed it more if the back cover hadn’t spoiled the crime for me. It would have been more interesting to guess what Raskolnikov was thinking about at the beginning of the book.
Great quotes:
☆ "’What if man is not really a scoundrel, man in general, I mean, the whole race of mankind — then all the rest is prejudice, simply artificial terrors and there are no barriers and it’s all as it should be.’"
☆ "’Talk nonsense, but talk your own nonsense, and I’ll kiss you for it. To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in some one else’s. In the first case you are a man, in the second you’re no better than a bird. Truth won’t escape you, but life can be cramped.’"
☆ "’But why are they so fond of me if I don't deserve it? Oh, if only I were alone and no one loved me and I too had never loved anyone! Nothing of all of this would've happened.’"
What I learned: Don’t judge a book by its intimidating Russian author.
Quick thoughts:
• I loved Razumihin and Porfiry the most
• I almost threw up at Svidrigaïlov. Disgusting man
• Raskolnikov is the worst character in the world
• The horse nightmare?!?!?? I cried real tears. Real tears happened. Then my sister walked in and I had to explain I was crying over a fictional horse, which was imaginary anyway.
• Poor poor Sonia!! Raskolnikov does not deserve the ending. I missed the part where he was ever sorry about what he did
• Why do people always throw themselves at each other’s feet? This is a strange expression of affection.
• Pro tip: Read as much as you can at once because you’re not going to be able to remember 50% of the characters if they’re not fresh in your mind. They all have the same names.
• Would have enjoyed it more if the back cover hadn’t spoiled the crime for me. It would have been more interesting to guess what Raskolnikov was thinking about at the beginning of the book.
Great quotes:
☆ "’What if man is not really a scoundrel, man in general, I mean, the whole race of mankind — then all the rest is prejudice, simply artificial terrors and there are no barriers and it’s all as it should be.’"
☆ "’Talk nonsense, but talk your own nonsense, and I’ll kiss you for it. To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in some one else’s. In the first case you are a man, in the second you’re no better than a bird. Truth won’t escape you, but life can be cramped.’"
☆ "’But why are they so fond of me if I don't deserve it? Oh, if only I were alone and no one loved me and I too had never loved anyone! Nothing of all of this would've happened.’"
What I learned: Don’t judge a book by its intimidating Russian author.