Crime and Punichment is one of the most famous novels ever to have been written, and if you haven't read it yet, go out and get yourself a copy as soon as possible! The novel revolves around a young student by the name of Raskolnikov, murders a pawn broker with an axe. This is where the story really begins. Raskolnikov, or Rodya as he is also called, wanders the streets of St. Petersburg, thinking about his crime. To him, however, it isn't really a crime and he feels no remorse. He feels he did the world a favour of ridding it of such a greedy man. Raskolnikov believes himself to be some sort of überman, according to Nietzschean ideals. This is an interesting view of the book, and something that is often discussed when talking about "Crime and punishment", the real reason to reading this book lies more in the plot and the characters than the Nietzschean philosophy. Another thing that sticks out is the way St. Petersburg is described, it's a hot day, which makes the stench of the town even more unbearing, and when you read it, you can almost feel the smell, and how your stomach turns. There are a lot of interesting characters and Raskolnikov and the bright police detective are two prime examples. When you read the book, you get struck by the notion that you should hate this Raskolnikov character, but somehow, you can't.
Title: Crime and Punishment |
1/17/05
