Review Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky

“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.”

I have never actualy read russian classics or anything like this book in my entire life till in 2024 I got acquainted with Leo Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, and from now on russian classics may have the big impact for my own. My first impression when reading The Crime and Punishment was how gloomy it was, how squalid at some place at St. Petersburg was when this book really invited me to dive into it, and we are also taken in depth into the depths of Raskolnikov's thoughts.

"it's better to face your demons instead of perpetually running away from them."

Crime and Punishment is told by a third-person narrator and follows a young student named Rodion Raskolnikov. He lives in St. Petersburg and comes from a poor and troubled family. His family cannot afford to pay for his school anymore, which makes him feel hopeless. He also becomes very upset when he finds out that his sister, Dunya (Ducheka), is being forced to marry a rich man just for money, to help the family. This makes Raskolnikov feel angry and lost, and it leads him to make difficult and dangerous choices in the story.

Review The Mill on The Floss by George Eliot

St. Ogg's is a small, old town in England by the River Floss. It has green fields, farms, and countryside all around it. The town has small streets, old buildings, and a close tie to the river, which is very important to the people who live there. Dorlcote Mill is just outside the town, close to the river, and the water powers the mill. The river is both pretty and risky, especially when it floods. The calm but changing scenery near St. Ogg's shows the lives and problems of the characters in The Mill on the Floss.

The Tullivers own Dorlcote Mill. The Tulliver family has owned the mill for many years. The mill is their home and how they make money. The Tullivers feel strongly about Dorlcote Mill, showing how important it is to their family and culture.

The main character is Maggie Tulliver, who had a childhood with strong emotions and big hopes. Many critics think she represents the author herself (George Eliot's real name was Mary Ann Evans). She was a smart and eager girl who loved to read and learn, and she often felt like she didn't fit in. Her brother, Tom Tulliver, was stubborn and didn't like new ideas, and he never understood Maggie. Maggie was very close to her brother Tom, and she was often compared to her cousin from her mother's side, Lucy Deane. Lucy's role in the story shows the contrast between people who easily fit into society, like her, and Maggie, who always struggled because she was different from what people expected of young women in the 19th century.

The story goes on from when they were kids to when they were adults. The Tulliver family's troubles begin when her father loses their mill, causing them shame and difficulty. Mr. Tulliver, Maggie’s father, gets into a fight with a man named Mr. Wakem. Mr. Tulliver borrows money to pay for a lawsuit against Wakem, but he loses the case. After that, he is unable to pay back the money he owes. Because of this, he has to sell the mill and everything he owns to pay his debts. This brings much sadness and trouble to the Tulliver family. This causes the Tulliver hated Wakem family, the hatred itself passed down to their next generations.