Upon reaching the end of the first volume of Crime and Punishment, I felt a bit frustrated. I thought the book I had in my hands was complete, that I wouldn’t have to look for a second part. The problem is that I wasn’t aware of this fact, and honestly, I don’t know how to find the second volume in physical form.
Nevertheless, here is my review of Crime and Punishment by Fiodor Dostoievsky, Part 1.
In Russia at the end of the 19th century, a young former student lives in a situation of extreme poverty. Amid so much misery, he comes up with a rather macabre plan that he also considers just for society: to murder and steal money and valuables from an evil old woman who runs a pawnbroking business.
Rodion Raskolnikov, our protagonist, succeeds in his criminal objective, but during the act he cannot avoid being seen by the pawnbroker’s sister, whom he also kills. From this moment on, Raskolnikov begins to suffer psychiatric consequences that turn the novel into a thrilling vertigo, keeping the reader hooked page after page.
This first part introduces the characters, develops them, and gives us a clear profile of the weight each will carry in the story. My favorite, without a doubt, is Razumikhin, Raskolnikov’s university friend. Even though he admits he is not as intelligent as Rodion, he enjoys sharing everything he knows with others.
Moreover, he is a very helpful person, inclined toward relationships with people, since his character is affable and even comical—one of the reasons I find it so pleasant to read the parts where he speaks.
Reading some situations in this first volume, one wonders: why do the victims endure so much suffering? Why do the perpetrators, even when aware that what they are doing is wrong—or apparently wrong—continue acting without restraint?
Deception also plays a leading role. Much of the plot arises from it, keeping all our characters connected by a thread that we can only unravel once we read the second and final volume. Dostoievsky was definitely a genius; even though his novel is quite long, it keeps me awake, eager to finish this masterpiece of literature.
English isn't my native language. Text translated with DeepL
Rating: 98/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/books.
