I would just like to state for the records that Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment is an incredible book. I usually have an exceedingly hard time getting through books written by Russians. The characters have ridiculously similar names with about six different nicknames. They have titles that change depending on which character is referring to them... brother, aunt, friend, or enemy.
In this respect, Crime and Punishment is no different, BUT the character development and quality of writing is so superb that this quickly becomes a trivial inconvenience compared to the thrill and fascination that develops while reading this book. The author brings such a deep psychological understanding to the style of his writing. The reader finds himself or herself immediately identifying with the main character, someone who is not at all likable but is portrayed in a way that connects with the reader. As a bonus, the ending is very redemptive and I closed the book after finishing it with a sense of hope and clarity rather than the murky darkness with which so many darker stories tend to conclude.
The book is not perfect, but overall it was a very good read. If you haven't read it then you need to put it at the top of your list immediately.
1 comment:
looooove that book. haven't read it since high school though...hmmmm, maybe that'd be a good Christmas break read....I almost never read fiction anymore.
p.s. can you tell i'm just now finding time to catch up on blogs post-semester?
word: marbab = sounds like a new genetically engineered kind of berry. makes me think of a sort of a cross between mulberry and rhubarb in my tired brain.
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