Book Notes — Crime and Punishment

Covid has unfortunately kept me away from my family and workspace for months now. But the silver lining is, it has given me a good time to explore some literature. USSR has been intriguing me since I have seen the HBO series Chernobyl, and read the book A Gentleman in Moscow.

Crime & Punishment is an intense drama, which deals with the moral conundrum of a protagonist who commits a grave crime. It is an interesting probe inside the mind of a criminal, who is going through turmoil both from inside and external environments. Dostoevsky takes the reader through the dark alleys of St. Petersburg and makes us acquainted with the kind of degradation poverty does to the souls of humans. It is a grim reminder to us, what constant state of hopelessness and daily agony can make us turn into.

I also loved some debates among characters about Individual vs Collective, Progressives, and Religion. Dostoevsky keeps the story sharp, and tension going throughout the book. I loved the writing of Author, and have already included The Brothers Karamazov in my upcoming reading list.