What else to add after many centuries and more than 1 million reviews from the people around the world? My reading goal this year is to dig more Russian classic literature, without expecting a war. This is the second Russian literature that I've read after War and Peace that I had read last year. Perhaps it's not even a good time to read it, but I couldn't abandon a masterpiece that summoned me into the story. This is the best show-it-don't-tell-it story that I've read so far. But of course, telling that it's a masterpiece doesn't convince others without any more explanation why i think that it is. From the first page I could capture how dark, wild and poor the situation is. Raskolnikov with his justification that it's alright to kill someone when it will benefit a lot of people, it's something that still relates today.

Just like how you would escape from your daily life and problems by watching movies, I do it by reading a book. But, although this book has summoned me into the story, it has also caused me another distress I couldn't escape.

Let us take a moment to contemplate how faithful and kind Razumikhin is, a forgotten character; never mentioned, under appreciated. I'm sure that each of us needs someone like him who never abandoned Raskolnikov despite everything. Someone who can provide, whose shoulder we can lean on. During reading I was imagining how shocked and distressed he would be when he found out that his friend was the murderer. But the scene wasn't in the book and I'm glad it wasn't, even though everyone including him finally knew the truth. Do you know/still remember who actually was literally shocked, mouth opened, not expecting Raskolnikov's confession? I won't tell you, in case you haven't read the book. If you have read it, let it be a homework :)

I would say, don't rush when reading it. Take your time! I knew it: too many books, not enough time. Or in GoodRead's way: the feeling of wanting to accomplish how many books you can read this year, or the feeling that your GR friends have read more than you, or the feeling of how many books you can read in one week compared to this one, chunky book. It's better to read one truly masterpiece than 5 average books.