Have you ever had a superiority complex one day, and then felt like you were the dirt beneath people’s boots the next? If you have, then you should probably talk to someone about that. But if you haven’t, and just want to read a story from the perspective of such a person, then Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” might fill that need.
I’ve already reviewed Dostoevsky’s “White Nights,” a novella that explores the blossoming love and eventual heartbreak of a young man as a sort of character exploration. It is a simple, straightforward and quick read. Everything “Crime and Punishment” isn’t. But that isn’t a bad thing.
“Crime and Punishment” follows Rodion Raskolnikov, a former law student who has fallen into poverty, as he plans and executes the murder of his landlady in an effort to pawn off her belongings. Raskolnikov’s mental turmoil over his conflicted feelings of guilt and personal justification — and the general paranoia of being caught — fills most of the 500 pages, exploring the relationships he develops with strangers over the course of an investigation that seemingly haunts him at every turn.
Questions of free will, might-equals-right, justice, the existence of good, God and purpose abound, although you’ll have to do some serious lifting to get to them. “Crime and Punishment” is a heavy read that requires a lot of attention — it’s not a book to pop open when you’ve got ten minutes before class, or a lunch break with time to fill. And this novel will stay that way the whole time. If you zone out, you’d better get ready to re-read that whole stretch, or else you’ll be floundering to understand what’s going on.
But boy howdy is it worth it if you can muscle on through. A character arc that truly feels transformative rather than performative, the ending ties all of Dostoevsky’s hard work together and makes my time as a reader feel well spent. If you’re a seasoned reader, then I’d recommend “Crime and Punishment,” especially if you’re looking for something that aims to be deeper rather than wider.
“Under the (Hard) Covers is an opinion column by Ethan Reisler — a published author, satirist, and journalist — reviewing modern and classic novels alike for their craft, storytelling and general enjoyability.”