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.

Raskolnikov is a young man who believes he is smarter and more important than most people. He thinks that some people, like great leaders or thinkers, have the right to break the law if it helps others. He plans a murder like a math problem, thinking that killing one bad person, a greedy old pawnbroker, would be okay if it saves many good people. Raskolnikov believes he is strong enough to do it without feeling guilty. This shows his narcissistic side—he sees himself as special and above normal rules. But after the murder, he starts to feel very guilty and confused, showing that his idea was wrong and that no one can escape the weight of doing something so terrible.

Razumikhin and Sonya are two people who care deeply about Raskolnikov, even when he is cold or rude to them. They both stay by his side and try to help him. Razumikhin is unlike Raskolnikov who lost in big confusing thoughts about power and murder, instead he focuses on practical things—studying, finding work, and taking care of people he loves. Meanwhile, Sonya understands Raskolnikov's pain, because she also lives a hard life, but she still believes in forgiveness and God. 

This book feels incredibly heavy, not just because of the dark themes, but also because of the deep emotional and psychological weight it carries. Through Raskolnikov's journey, this book shows how a stressed and troubled mind can cause great damage both mentally and physically, also spiritually and emotionally until it becomes self-destructive. The more he tries to hide his crime, the more he suffers. In the end, his own thoughts almost destroy him. The story teaches us how dangerous it can be when we let stress and guilt take over our lives. 

Crime and Punishment is unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and I’m not sure I’ll ever read anything quite like it again. It’s an intense read, and always thought that sometimes, Dostoevsky’s outlook can deeply affect to me, to see everyday life, especially how we understand people, I always realize that everyone who do the bad things in life, there always a reason behind. I want to read again this book sometimes. For Crime and Punishments, it was very nice begining, I would proudly recommend to you. 

Ruang Buku Megga Rated : ✬✬✬✬✬(5/5)

Title : Crime and Punishment

Author : Fyodor Dostoevsky
Publisher : Oxford World Classics

Year : 2019 (First Published in 1866)
Format / Pages : Softcover / 544 pages
ISBN :  9780198709718