Book of the Week

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevksy
Recommended by Nicholas Heymann

When I first decided to read Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment I approached it not without some trepidation. I had always considered it to be a dense, difficult to read book that might feel more like work than enjoyment. Although to a certain extent that is the case, on tackling it I found the book to be perfectly readable - even when taking into account its philosophical nature.

One of the key features of Crime and Punishment is undoubtedly the philosophy that lies behind the decisions taken by the main character Raskolnikov – for me that added a lot to the book as a whole as it gave a new dimension to the characters.
During the novel, for example, Raskolnikov compares himself a few times to Napoleon Bonaparte – referring to him as an example of someone who is revered despite having caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. The philosophy and Raskolnikov’s self-described nihilism are key to relationships within the book and the plot itself.

For me, reading this book was an interesting experience. Although to a certain extent I had expected the prevalence of philosophical thoughts, I had still thought that it would perhaps not have such an exciting plot. As it turned out, however, the plot, while at first glance seemingly not that complex, was well woven - so well woven, in fact, that it was sometimes difficult to keep track of characters!

Interestingly, although the story is told in the third person, it does seem to link quite closely to the consciousness of the characters, with dreams playing an important part in the novel – think Virginia Woolf, but on a much less extreme scale. That was also a surprise, but allowed for much greater understanding of where characters (mainly Raskolnikov) were coming from.

I think that a combination of the aforementioned factors lead to this being an extremely enjoyable read – even bedtime reading perhaps – which deserves the acclaim often given it and the status of a classic.