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crime and punishment by fyodor dostoevsky

written november 8, 2023

Hate and love that it’s a family drama first because the relationships between raskolnikov and his family is so .. wholesome. In a Way. but the man who was going to marry dounia was so boring and unremarkable (i don’t even remember his name). glad he became irrelevant

svidrigailov is such a banger of a character. he’s just so goofy and fucked up but also the only one to really see through raskol. his introduction is one of my favorite parts

'Don't be angry, Rodion Romanovitch, but you seem to be somehow awfully strange yourself. Say what you like, there's something wrong with you, and now, too ... not this very minute, I mean, but now, generally ... Well, well, I won't, I won't ... don't scowl! I am not such a bear, you know, as you think.'

Raskolnikov looked gloomily at him.

“hey don’t be mad but there’s something wrong with you, not right now but just in general. Please stop frowning” (cut to raskol frowning)

it was interesting getting to see some of the bits that may have inspired american psycho. there was only like 2 big ones that were obvious to me, one being pat/jean parallels to raskol/sonya

they aren’t Completely Alike (raskol’s relationship is at least confirmed and he’d never endanger her) but how they act towards their respective girls were so similar in that they were hot then cold, and always distant

'Well, that's all. Be careful, though. Will you come and see me in prison when I am there?'

'Oh, I will, I will.'

They sat side by side, both mournful and dejected, as though they had been cast up by the tempest alone on some deserted shore. He looked at Sonia and felt how great was her love for him, and strange to say he felt it suddenly burdensome and painful to be so loved. Yes, it was a strange and awful sensation! On his way to see Sonia he had felt that all his hopes rested on her; he expected to be rid of at least part of his suffering; and now, when all her heart turned towards him, he suddenly felt that he was immeasurable unhappier than before.

'Sonia,' he said, 'you'd better not come and see me when I am in prison.'

like this switch up is so funny to me just because it’s so real and fucked up

i’m not sure how to feel about raskol’s treatment but at least he’s by her side when it matters most (referring to sonya being accused of stealing). i just hope he grows out of his …. oscillating temperament but that seems to be implied by the epilogue. so good for them!

honestly all intense scenes centered around the girls (sonya and dounia. oh huh i didn’t realize they rhymed. if i’m pronouncing them right) were so very good. the one where svidrigailov confronted dounia was !!!! straight out of an action movie. it was a meeting that was already highly anticipated but it still managed to blow it out of the park

anyways. this shit took me a month to read and it was exhausting but fun. i enjoyed the listlessness feeling of it all and raskol was a wonderful narrator to follow

ending this with another favorite interaction:

'One time you used to go out, you say, to teach children. But why is it you do nothing now?'

'I am doing ...' Raskolnikov began sullenly and reluctantly.

'What are you doing?'

'Work...'

'What sort of work?'

'I am thinking,' he answered seriously after a pause.

Nastasya was overcome with a fit of laughter.

dostoevsky ranked

  1. the gambler
  2. crime and punishment
  3. bobok
  4. a nasty story