Crime and Punishment

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Summary

"Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a novel published in 1866. It follows Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished former law student in Saint Petersburg who plans to murder an unscrupulous pawnbroker. He convinces himself that certain crimes are justifiable if committed by "extraordinary" men pursuing higher goals. Once the deed is done, however, he is consumed by confusion, paranoia, and guilt as his theoretical justifications crumble and he faces the internal and external consequences of his actions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• Crime — Psychological aspects — Fiction
• Detective and mystery stories
• Murder — Fiction
• Psychological fiction
• Saint Petersburg (Russia) — Fiction

Bookshelves

• Best Books Ever Listings
• Classics of Literature
• Crime, Thrillers and Mystery
• Novels
• Russian Literature
• Crime Fiction
• Harvard Classics

Translators