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Reader discussion: Crime and Punishment
Public reader discussion about Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Translating Crime and Punishment
By field-chance8064
I just wrapped up Crime and Punishment for the first time, and I picked it because I wanted a “classic” but not a total brick of a novel. I’ll be honest, I went in a little nervous that it’d be kind of dry—something I’d “respect,” but not really enjoy. That was not the case. I ended up loving it almost from start to finish. I kept getting surprised by how people who felt like they were just mentioned once early on would later come back and matter a lot to the plot. And I really enjoyed the whole unraveling of these big philosophical arguments—stuff people still debate now—and how good Dostoyevsky is at getting inside someone’s head.
The thing that’s been bugging me a bit is the English translation. While I was reading, I kept wondering how much of the small nuances and style actually make it over from Russian. Some parts feel pretty intense/“deep,” and it seems possible the translator could have read a passage one way and then the English version goes with that. I read Constance Garnett, so I can’t help thinking: maybe I was getting Dostoyevsky’s ideas filtered through Garnett’s own take.
Anyway, I really did like the book. I’m sure this question isn’t new, but it stayed in the back of my mind the whole time. Has anyone here read it in Russian and also in English? Or tried multiple English translations? Or compared it with translations in another language? What did you think?
Did Raskolnikov ever regret or feel guilty for committing a crime?
By FallenBear
I’ve seen some people say that by the end of *Crime and Punishment* (in the epilogue), Raskolnikov finally starts feeling guilty about what he did. After reading it myself, though, I got the impression he was mostly mad that his whole idea didn’t work out, not that he actually felt bad for killing the pawnbroker.
Am I misunderstanding something? Like, does the book show him feeling genuine remorse specifically for the crime at some point, and if so, about what chapter does that start?
I just finished reading Crime and Punishment... I dont understand?
By pagesmarten
Honestly this story was really hard to follow. I’m glad I had Oliver Ready’s version, because the notes at the back helped a lot and I kept checking them, especially for all the religious stuff and the references to Napoleon and other Russian books. Without that I think I would’ve completely lost track. It took me like 4 chapters just to realize Zametov was Alexander Grigo-something, the head clerk at the bureau.
Raskolnikov never really repents, right? He still seems to believe in his ideas, and then somehow he ends up in love with Sonya? I don’t get how or why Sonya goes with him to Siberia either. And was it really that simple to visit a prisoner in Omsk back then? Even Dunya and Razumikhin are basically planning to follow them there like it’s nothing???
I also don’t really get Porfiry. He’s supposed to be smart, but how did he know Raskolnikov was the actual killer? From what I could tell, he just kept pushing him and even used Zametov and Razumikhin like accidental spies. So was that enough for him to figure it out?
What even happened with Zametov at the end? He “moved on” and “fell out with everyone,” but does that mean he got into fights while drunk and kept trying different things? I never quite got his character. He seemed normal and polite until that whole tavern scene with Raskolnikov.
And Svidrigailov? Just this creepy horny guy who somehow really falls for Dunya? Then he kills himself after she finally turns him down for good?
As for Luzhin, did he just disappear after trying to frame Sonya? I almost mixed him up with Porfiry too since they both get called by names that are basically P.P.
It took me 3 weeks to get through this. It’s a great book, just maybe too much for me to fully understand.
NABOKOV ON DOSTOYEVSKY
By HawkBirch2001
This was really refreshing. I’ve always felt like Dostoevsky is kind of a slog—too heavy and hard to get through—so it’s nice to see someone pushing back in a more articulate way.
And that quote is just wild:
Literature has to be taken apart and smashed and all that, and then somehow you get the real flavor and it all clicks back together in your head. I don’t even know. It’s kind of intense, but it makes me want to reread it.
Also, I swear Nabokov can’t write about anything without making it sound gorgeous.
Crime book from the criminal’s perspective?
By KLost9
Just wrapped up *The Postman Always Rings Twice* and now I’m kind of hooked on the idea of crime novels told from the criminal’s side.
What I’m looking for is something with a truly smart criminal—like the criminal version of Sherlock Holmes, or that vibe you get from William of Baskerville in *The Name of the Rose*.
Any recommendations?
Suggestion for a good Crime and Punishment (by Fryodor Dostoevsky) translated edition?
By steady_marten
I’m currently reading Crime and Punishment in the Bantam Classics edition, and it’s been pretty enjoyable. I know there’s also the Penguin Classics version, though—has anyone read that one or another edition they’d suggest? I’m not totally sure which would be best.
Crime and punishment
By Small-Mug1980
Just finished Crime and Punishment. The first day I was like, “okay, pretty good,” maybe a 3-star kind of thing. The next day I bumped it to 4 stars, and now I’m just sitting here thinking about it more and more and it feels like it’s actually brilliant—like, way over 5 stars. I guess I’m not mature or sharp enough to rate it right the first time.
I even made myself a promise to reread it sometime in the next year.
So how did you all feel after reading it?
Crime and punishment ,PDF novel (1920) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky,Crime and punishment is excellent literature of the highest level and easily read,the characters are shaken by great emotions
By FootnoteBadger2701
This book is really great. I thought the main character’s internal fight and all that agony were written so well that I felt like I was dealing with it too. It left me with this weird, surreal feeling afterward. Also, the plot is kind of “simple,” but it’s stretched out over a bunch of pages without ever getting boring, which somehow feels like actual talent. Honestly, it comes off like a masterpiece to me.
Reading Dostoyevsky in order of writing/publication?
By HawkBirch2001
Hey everyone—has anyone tried reading Dostoyevsky in the order he wrote things, and do you actually recommend it?
I did something similar with Vonnegut and liked seeing how his style and his whole vibe changed over time, like watching him grow based on what was going on in his life and the world.
For someone who hasn’t read Dostoyevsky yet, would that approach make sense? A bunch of people tell me to start with Crime and Punishment because it’s so gripping and strong, but part of me thinks it might be more fun to watch his work build up to that point.