Overview

Crime and Punishment follows Rodion Raskolnikov, a former student in a hot, crowded St. Petersburg. He has a proud theory about people who may stand above ordinary rules. Then he tries to live with what that theory asks of him.

This is less a puzzle than a fever. Dostoevsky stays close to Raskolnikov as pride turns to panic, and as every visit, street crossing, and careless remark seems loaded with danger. Sonya, Razumikhin, Dunya, Porfiry, and Svidrigailov each pull him toward a different answer about mercy, reason, and blame.

It is long, talky, and full of Russian names, but it is rarely still. The pressure comes from the mind of a man trying to outthink his own conscience. A good translation with notes can make the names and social ranks much easier to follow.

Is This Book for You?

Yes, if...

You want a tense inner story about guilt, pride, and a mind that won't let itself rest.
You like novels where arguments, chance meetings, and police talk carry real pressure.
You can settle into a long Russian novel with many names and side paths.

No, if...

You want a short crime novel that moves straight from clue to clue.
You need a cheerful book or a hero who is easy to trust.
You lose patience with long talks about ideas, faith, and human motives.

Summary

In St. Petersburg, former student Rodion Raskolnikov is poor and alone. He has a theory: rare people may break moral laws for a greater purpose. He kills the pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna to test it. Her gentle sister Lizaveta arrives. He kills her too. He takes a few things but barely uses them. Fear makes him hide them.

The crime does not make him feel powerful. Raskolnikov falls ill and suspects everyone. He wanders the city while the police ask questions. Sonya Marmeladova supports her family through prostitution and keeps her faith. Razumikhin helps Raskolnikov's mother and sister, Dunya. Dunya rejects the smug lawyer Luzhin. The investigator Porfiry Petrovich keeps up the pressure with talk more than evidence.

Svidrigailov, a dangerous man from Dunya's past, learns the secret and tries to use it. Dunya refuses him. He provides for Katerina's children, gives Sonya money, then kills himself. Raskolnikov confesses to Sonya and later admits the murders at the police office. He is sent to Siberia for eight years, and Sonya follows him. In the epilogue, love begins to break through his pride. The book ends at the start of his moral renewal.

Notable Quotables

“It would be interesting to know what it is men are most afraid of. Taking a new step, uttering a new word is what they fear most....” — translation: Constance Garnett

“Man grows used to everything, the scoundrel!” — translation: Constance Garnett

“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,” — translation: Constance Garnett

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