July 29, 2024 |  Genres:  Literary Fiction   Gothic   Fiction   Literature  

Crime and Punishment

Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden sex worker, can offer the chance of redemption.

This book is a masterpiece. Without a doubt one of my favorites of all time. I love the way Dostoevsky psychoanalyzes his main character through all the horrible things that happen to and because of him. He captures the cold, lonely feelings of winter perfectly.