Crime and Punishment (Fyodor
Dostoevsky): November-December 2008
I have started this book numerous times but have never finished
it. This time I am determined to read it to the end!
Perhaps it is the fact that I am more mature now, but I am finding this
book fascinating. It is the story of a poor Russian man (Raskolnikov) who
kills a woman. Even he is unsure of his reasons for killing
her. Is it because she was an ugly old hag? A greedy
wench? An abusive aunt? This novel follows Raskolnikov
through the murder and the time afterward, as he tries to slay the
demons that haunt him. In my own opinion, the storyline itself
leaves a bit to be desired, but the "forensics" and psychology of the
time are what fascinate me and keep me reading. How did the
authorities ever solve crimes back then? This novel speaks to the
time period (as compares to our own) and to life in general: when (if
ever) is murder "okay"?
