victoriapower Posted November 14, 2012 Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 Has anyone read Crime and Punishment? We are reading it a bit later this year but I've heard different opinions on the book.Any thoughts or comments? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmi Posted November 14, 2012 Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 I read it as one of my world literature texts in the old English A1 course and then used it for my WL1 paper. It's a long and depressing book, be warned. I didn't enjoy it all too much to be honest. But one thing I will say is that it was really fascinating to have the crime happen quite early in the novel and then use the rest of the novel for the punishment. Because really Raskolnikov isn't criminally punished until the very end, but you see his mental state decline as he goes through his mental punishment for his crimes. Quite interesting really. But long and repetitive, good luck getting through it. As for symbolism, look at dreams and water and the "extraordinary man" theory. Those are pretty key to getting this work. 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rena Posted December 30, 2012 Report Share Posted December 30, 2012 Yes, I wrote an analysis of it this year, and actually ended up enjoying it quite a bit.One thing that you may consider including when analyzing it is looking into the life of the author, Fyodor Dostoevsky. His own depression and life contributed to the way that he portrayed Raskolnikov, the main character, and you may notice that he reflects some of his own qualities and opinions in his creation of that character. I found that reading a bit about the author made it easier to understand multiple characters in the book, including Sofia and Dmitri (who are considered the personifications of "wisdom and reason," which is suggested in the meanings of their names as well as their roles in the story). Regarding symbolism, what Emy said was spot on. Consider looking into the importance of the location (Saint Petersburg).I hope that you enjoy the book; it's quite long and dense, but the ending is absolutely beautiful. 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rahul Posted January 8, 2013 Report Share Posted January 8, 2013 I read it and I honestly despised the book. It is great literature, undeniably, but as Rena said, extremely long and dense. It's not an easy nor a smooth read, and I'm glad I had the choice to do an analysis on a book other than it, but I foresee I will encounter it again in English Lit HL. It's deep, however - there is symbolism in everything, do not dismiss things which you would normally consider to be trivial as such when reading this book. 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freezy19 Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 I, personally loved it, and same as glau-ski, wrote my WL paper on it.That said, it is long, and it is a pretty drawn out narrative at times. I suppose the reason I found it interesting is that I am very interested in philosophy, especially nihilism/existentialism (great fan of Nietzsche...) both of which are prevalent throughout the book.I heard from a lot of friends/classmates however, that it was their least favorite WL book... I guess unless you get invested in the characters/greater ideas/themes, it can be rather boring and wordy...hope you enjoy it, or if not, suffer through it Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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