Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky BOOK REVIEW PART 1 of 2

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[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

The reason this book is slower is because it is exploring the painful psychological process which Rashkolnikov is going through due to acting upon his beliefs. He is not merely an unhinged character, his breakdown is due to his cognitive dissonance between his ideology and his innate conscience. The idea of the superman who can transcend ordinary societal and moral norms, was a ideology with a great hold in the universities of Dostoevsky's day. What he does with Rashkolnikov is explore how it would pan out in reality. To the end, Rashkolnikov cannot see why he is wrong, theoretically, with his academic beliefs. But that he is wrong, he knows somehow. It is this inner conscience that breaks him down into his paranoia and is responsible for his illness, lethargy and hunger. These are not random elements, but consequences of his innate morality and a proud intellectual mind. The roles of Razumihin, Sophia and Svidrigailov are key to his ideas. Their names have meaning. Razumihin depicts the intelligent, rational mind. Sophia is symbolic of compassion and goodness (St Sophia). Her response to her louse father, is a stark contrast to Rashkolnikov and he cannot help but be fascinated by the comparison and its affects on each of them. Svidrigailov, named after a famous traitor, is actually the superman whom Razhkolnikov theoretically admires and yet hates him in reality. The book asks us to do the hard work of wrestling with the realities of our inbuilt conscience and what happens when intellectual philosophies ignore the innate morality we are all born with. I would be interested in your response to the epilogue to the book. I have my feelings about it but I won't say until you have finished. Love your style and approach to reading. You are really great to listen to. 😀

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

@@DaveReithmiller1983 Thanks Cap! 😊

[@montanagal6958]

brings forth the question of value/meaning of every human being and how governments sanctify and legalize murder through the act of war too

[@anapaularcabral]

Amazing

[@brynleyjones3635]

Reading Crime and Punishment is like getting into the thought process of a manic episode.

[@BetterThanFoodBookReviews]

Bingo.

[@ryanmurtha2392]

Not true, I'm bipolar and Dostoyevsky is way more boring. It's more like a root canal that last three weeks.

[@brynleyjones3635]

@@ryanmurtha2392 I'm pretty sure I'm not bipolar, but I have experienced a manic episode. Maybe your experiences are different from mine, but my manic episode felt exactly like what Raskolnikov was going through.

[@christopherpaul7588]

It's so psychological! I loved how Dostoevsky expresses his inner-paranoia, thinking everyone knows he's guilty.

[@leak6729]

Very excited to hear what you thought of it. I can’t recommend enough The Brothers Karamazov. It is like a bible to me. So many memorable passages that I crave and go back to no matter what else I’ve read since the first time experiencing it

[@playermartin286]

Yeah some of my best friends are in that book

[@montanagal6958]

seriously

[@myckeee]

I am excited that I am not the only one to feel this too

[@CedixH]

@@playermartin286 quote Lex Fridman

[@elbowjuice2627]

Maybe I should check this Russian dude out…

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

Crime and Punishment is probably my second favorite Dostoevsky book after Notes from the Underground, which I think might be his most profound work and definitely the one that impacted me hardest. But I enjoyed the redemptive arc of Raskolnikov's story, and his relationship with Sonya was very interesting to me.

[@playermartin286]

Have you read the brothers karamazov?

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

@@playermartin286 I have. It's good and all, but I don't know how well its conclusions really hold up in comparison to Notes from the Underground.

[@crvlad]

It's the other way around for me: ''Crime and Punishment'' is my favorite so far, then ''Notes form the Underground'' follows. The problem I had with the last one is related to the first part of the book, which seems to me to be part, in style, of another literary creation, and the story itself would not have needed this approach.

[@user-cq5sg9cb4t]

The problem with The Notes is that you have to be lowkey insane to get any enjoyment out of that book. This tirade of a possessed individual is not something most would enjoy getting into on a nice, relaxed day with a cup of freshly-made coffee.

[@r.k.theartist9189]

When I first tried Crime and Punishment I started the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation but put it down. When I picked up the David McDuff translation from Penguin I was able to dive right into the book and loved it. The right translation can make a big difference in my experience

[@rustyshackelford934]

Yeah, I’ve heard that while Pevear and Volokhonsky translations can be good for some works, I’ve heard they’re not the best when it comes to Dostoevsky. I’ve heard loosely, they try and “fix” them. Which is just foolish to me. I like the McDuff translations. Supposedly he’s the closest in English it comes to the original.

[@bluebellbeatnik4945]

Thank God! That's the version I've got!

[@bluebamboomusic6882]

I've never liked the P&K translations but imo McDuff is one of the very best translators around in any language.

[@douloureux.]

Thank you! I have the Volokhonsky translation and couldn’t get into it. Will def get the other one

[@evanmiller4502]

@@rustyshackelford934 weird cause that's the opposite of everything I've seen people say online. I've heard they're the best for Russian lit in general, and stick the closest to the original writings more so than every other translation

[@smalltown4855]

Crime & Punishment is not set in winter, its set during the hottest summer on record.

[@shelveswithstories13]

My favourite book. This review was such a joy to watch! Cannot wait for Part 2

[@kasianfranmitja5298]

I finished this one three years ago during a relatively short time frame of 3.5 days. I did it during my autumn holiday, and i remember the feverish feeling i felt while i read it. I enjoyed this extremely much, and i consider it one of the best books i have ever read just for the Characters: Raskolnikov, Svidrigajlov, Marmeladov. They are imo, just amazing.

[@nozecone]

I remember having read it while lying sick and feverish on the couch, over several days - howe ver, I don't know if that is a real memory or if I just so identified with Raskolnikov that I have imagined his condition as mine ... !

[@kasianfranmitja5298]

@@nozecone I almost felt the same way. Actually had nightmares after the episode where the murder took place.

[@nozecone]

@@kasianfranmitja5298 Perhaps I should clarify that I did not innately identify with Raskolnikov's sense of superiority, or feel any appeal in his homicidal philosophy - it was the power of Dostoevsky's writing that drew me into such close association with a character that otherwise would have repelled me.

[@kasianfranmitja5298]

@@nozecone Ofc. I def. hope so. Hahaha. The feverish atmosphere is just toxic to the mind..

[@nozecone]

@@kasianfranmitja5298 Well ... the thing is, in the comment section of almost every video pertaining to anything 'intellectual', you'll find more than one poster who is clearly quite intelligent and erudite - and who expresses utter contempt for not only anyone who is less so, but anyone in the same league who is not in complete agreement with their point of view, to the point that it is obvious that they see themselves as the 'ubermensch', and you do wonder how much value they put on the lives of lesser mortals ... !

[@Craw1011]

Love that you're reviewing the first half. It's really interesting to hear you talk about a book halfway through it, and I'm curious to see how the second review will have changed your perception of the book.

[@hw744]

You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this review

[@williamb8091]

I've been waiting for this review!!!

[@ItsTooLatetoApologize]

So far, I completely agree with you. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts about the second half.

[@mrschiquitita6664]

Surprised to hear you read this book kind of in little segments since June, I might be wrong but I suspect that it takes away some of the joy. I personally love to spend two weeks reading a lengthy novel, and I definitely enjoyed reading this one. It felt perfectly paced and balanced, and yeah it is quite dramatic at times, but a novel has to be entertaining, It can't just be deep and philosophical all the time. Anyway, love your reviews and recommendations! Thanks for doing what you do.

[@GianGaniyyu]

i looked up ur crime and punishment review just a week ago cuz i just finished it. :D didnt know it would be ur next upload

[@basserman]

I just started reading this today, got to about 70 pages once I saw your upload. I'll make sure to watch it once I've finished my first reading!

[@slurmsmackenzie7602]

Thanks for the review. I enjoyed how Crime and Punishment created the harsh reality of St Petersburg and it's citizens. My question is - would Raskolnikov never commit the atrocities if he wasn't hungry and poor? I believe hunger and poverty were factors that led him to the breaking point. What do you think?

[@comu157]

Thank you mate! I see a lot of people putting morals before natural needs and social inequality as the problem the book touchs upon. Although I don't believe Dosto was mainly talking about these thinks, he indeed goes more about the philosophical and psychological aspects of the act of murder but the fact that Raskolnikov couldn't handle the murder is a great indicative that he indeed did that out of pure despair and hopelessness as a poor working class youngster.

[@zan8152]

Have a weird long relationship with this book, but it's maybe *the* one that keep me interested enough in classical literature to come back around and start enjoying it. It's such a weird mix of this can't look away harrowing psychological horror, slapstick coincidental comedy, philosophical questing on morality and procedural thriller, all so fantastically written and realized. I'll always come back to it.

[@montanagal6958]

My favorite book, thank you! I think after the axing, the insanity and madness that descend, has to be. The murder has to be processed through all "human channels" including but not limited to rationalization, justification, judgement, and conscience to reach the conclusion. I respect the conclusion. I love the end and can't wait for Part 2!

[@geoffreybomber]

I started getting into reading right as Borders was closing all of their stores. I found out about it late and the shelves had been mostly picked through. The two books I walked away with were Catch-22 and Crime and Punishment. I’ve read the P&V translation a couple of times, and seeing your review is making me want to read it again, if for nothing else than Porfiry’s reveal and Svidrigailov’s last walk. One of my favorite books of all time. Chapeau, Cliff.

[@Ozgipsy]

Brilliant to hear the reading notes 👍

[@Lugbyz]

YEAAAAHHHHHHH I’m so excited to hear what cliff has to say about ol Dostoevsky. I hope he reviews the idiot sometime.

[@zitrandy]

Cool vid. Thanks for posting.

[@Sachie465]

It’s true, he is never left alone after committing the crime! A knack to read Dostoevsky’s novels is not to take it too seriously.

[@gravymuztache8108]

One of your better reviews, Cliff-and I’ve been watching you for years. This book, along with “Underground”, are both of my shelf. I think I’ll pick them up soon. By the way, you should check out Dostoyevsky’s “The Gambler.” You can imagine how much of an insight it affords to the man himself!

[@xgryphenx]

like to see Bottom's Dream tucked away down there. Look forward to THAT review!

[@stino9635]

literally my favorite book

[@musicaltakes]

I'm about 200 pages into Crime and Punishment. I didn't expect such a wild ride!

[@deelak2329]

It is definitely wild af and amazing.

[@jordanD656]

“some spoilers, none more than you’d know before reading” = describes the entire first half of the book

[@pufyshoes]

I wonder if you’d feel differently if it wasn’t the P&V translation. I also read their version, and didn’t connect with it nearly as much as McDuff’s translation of Brother’s K. Startling difference

[@shanabana22]

Great review! Read this last year and it was tough especially with the names. I thought it was good overall though

[@usmnt4423]

I love Crime and Punishment. I get the point on Dosto being long winded, but the whole thing is worth it to me. I’m surprised you didn’t mention mania right away, because when I read it (different translation though) I interpreted references to fever just as Raskolnikov being aware of his feeling of overwhelming mania

[@patricksalone5871]

You absolute madman you actually did it

[@CountofVatesgrad]

I would certainly be interested to hear your thoughts on This Sweet Sickness by Patricia Highsmith. I think its rather disturbing content will certainly be to your taste, especially since tou liked Mr Ripley so much. Great review as always. Dostoyevsky is always a banger!

[@authorgreene]

I felt like I was getting sick while I was reading Crime and Punishment, not because I really was coming down with something, but from the pervading sickness in the book. I read a newer translation I believe you have there; for my reread I'll want to read the Constance Garnett translation which (I understand) used to be the standard.

[@montanagal6958]

yes, the torment experienced as a reader aided my profound internalization of the conclusion.

[@strawberryorange3755]

Yeah, this book is making me really anxious.

[@user-zl8dk4zs8b]

Oneo of my favorite books! Спасибо!

[@v.cackerman8749]

I’ve been meaning to read this book for so long. I have no idea why I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.

[@palodine1]

I really like your take on this (1st pt.) of a very complex novel. Thanks for breaking it down into a 21st century mentality; Otherwise this stuff is gonna die. btw-Jordan Peterson has a great psychological/spiritual view on the novel from a lecture he did when he was teaching in Toronto. Better Than Food. But a strange flavor

[@donniedewitt9878]

Would love to see your take on maccarthys new release. Also the brother Karamazov, to stay on the topic of dosto

[@urstepdaddy007]

Reading this book really was an experience man. 🌠🌠🌠

[@neemx]

omg dude the axe @0:13

[@allanmacarthur3709]

Yes yes yes. Thank you so much.

[@christopherpaul7588]

I love Crispin Glover! I need to see it. He's amazing in everything he's in. Your impression reminds me of his small role in Wild at Heart. haha.

[@williamneal9076]

Try River's Edge. "You don't seem to unner-sstannnd. JOHN, is our FRIEND!!"

[@christopherpaul7588]

@@williamneal9076 I've seen it! Brilliant movie. Thanks! Have you seen him in Dead Man? It's only a small role but so good.

[@r.s.9861]

Timeless Masterpiece!

[@yeahimthatguy.5579]

Hey Cliff, would you be interested in reviewing 100 Years of Solitude?

[@rg7535]

One of the best novels I've read, from my favorite author. Well, tied for first with José Saramago.

[@SesameCake]

Great idea. Marquez's magic realism is intoxicating.

[@NjIceTea]

I may have an unpopular opinion but I entirely dislike P&V translations. I find them clunky, unpleasant to read, and terrible sounding in English. There are a number of fantastic translations of C&P out there (Katz, Oliver, McDuff) that I really recommend. I honestly think it would be worth your time to return to this book with a different translation - I am virtually certain that your opinion of this book would completely change if you do. Happy reading and thanks for your content!

[@PatchyTheFox]

I almost joined your Patreon!

[@antigaia1817]

finally. The Master

[@bluebellbeatnik4945]

Oh my god, I can't even watch this because I haven't read it yet. It's sitting on my bookshelf and I badly want to read it but I have a million other things to read!

[@pigeondance687]

i initially started reading crime and punishment in 9th grade, as every other russian student, but i just couldn't get through the part after raskolnikov kills the pawn broker. it felt like a never ending fever dream, it was too tedious for me. now i picked it up again, and i'm reading it together with my friend, and so far it's been much more enjoyable. i never realized how ridiculous and funny some of the stuff in this book is, in a sick, twisted kind of way. like when raskolnikov gets so lost in his own mind that he ends up wandering somewhere and has no idea how he got there and why. how after the murder he's so paranoid that someone will catch him that he fucking throws out all the stuff he stole from the woman, so sneakily too, he makes sure no one sees. and then he walks away laughing maniacally out loud like he forgot he's supposed to not look suspicious lol. that's the kind of stuff that i enjoy most while reading this, how much of a pathetic mess this guy is

[@Dino_Medici]

Wow this channel is the real deal papi

[@anarchoautism]

16:03 I'm aware there a number of direct adaptation of the novel, including one by Aki Kaurasmaki, but for me the best are the ones that are more influenced by Crime & Punishment and Dostoyevsky's work in general, such as the landmark video game Silent Hill 2, Pickpocket, Taxi Driver and Norte, The End of History (haven't got around to seeing the latter yet). Taxi Driver is an interesting one, and obviously the most famous of the three by far, because although The Outsider and Notes from Underground were Paul Schrader's primary literary influences on his script, as well drawing from his own experiences, in the second half when Travis meets Betsy and plans to kill a political candidate and later Betsy's pimp, it resembles Crime & Punishment. So yeah I guess Scorsese and Schrader managed to kill two books with one stone in that film you like haha

[@connorlane625]

I would recommend The Master of Petersburg by Coetzee - a reimagining of a particular event in Dostoevsky's life.

[@alwaysbrightandmerry]

I realize that you are really set with what you want to review (and for good reason!) and are cautionary about adding to your queue from users, etc (I believe you said this once?). Anyway, I would even still absolutely love it if you found a way to add Beautiful Losers by Leonard Cohen to your list.

[@GuitarVirtuosoGuy]

You should somewhere post a list of all the books you own / have reviewed! I'd be very curious to see that

[@garethpugh9768]

Good review, the entire first half of the book is set during summer though

[@vladdocolin6663]

reading the demons as we speak… a banger

[@brianbuch1]

Wild segue to the Better Help sponsor.

[@anridvalishvili5908]

Amazing review, very first time hearing fluent things about this book

[@saheelahmed6338]

I've the penguin publication of crime and punishment ynd reading it finished oart 1and continuing part 2 and the murder is very graphic yet meticulous like the way Raskolnikoff commits murders of his pawn broker. It is really graphic narrative in the way Dostoyevsky wrote the novel which is engrossing my mind the whole day❤😊

[@deadeyes7558]

Looking forward to hearing your reaction to the epilogue. I believe, as with quite a lot of people, the epilogue was a mistake. Should have ended with the last chapter. It's a perfect ending.

[@user-kw8ff9ne8l]

Your reviews are amazing,please make"The portrait of Dorian Gray."

[@McSpanty]

Can we get a four-part review on The Brothers Karamazov?

[@BetterThanFoodBookReviews]

Can't guarantee but I'll certainly consider it.

[@deelak2329]

I read Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment. Unpopular opinion: I loved Crime and Punishment wayyyyy more. In fact, its in my top 3 books ever. So much tighter and focused and less meandering than BK.

[@user-kw8ff9ne8l]

Yes,it is inevitable that a huge roman becomes tirering.

[@nozecone]

Agree completely. I don't think he knew where he was going with Brothers Karamazov and never got there.

[@deelak2329]

@@nozecone I heard that it was part 1 of a 2 book series that was going to go deeper, till he ofcoarse died. Though, its still no excuse for it being so meandering.

[@deelak2329]

@@user-kw8ff9ne8l I mean sure. But it doesn't have to be. For example, to me, Steinbeck's East Of Eden was absolutely amazing and I didn't want it to end. Though not as big as BK, its still a monster.

[@nozecone]

@@deelak2329 I believe he was writing it in installments that were published in a periodical, which is partly why I say I don't think he knew where he was going with it. My feelings were similar about The Idiot. I found C&P gripping, in contrast; as you say, "So much tighter and focused".

[@andrewrussell2845]

In spite of the fact that I vehemently disagree with your viewpoint on the quality of this work, your description of one of Dostoyevsky's most seminal works as 'spastic', will live with me forever.

[@awesumevideos]

watching this shitting in the dark bc the hurricane took the power out in my house 🙏🙏 big fan

[@stellerhippo9961]

I didn't realize Dostoevsky was an anime fan, seems like he watched Death Note and got inspired

[@hermetischism4671]

Benjamin Mcevoy has an incredible video on Crime and Punishment and every other classic from the 19th century lmao

[@adventureindustries]

Have you read The Brothers Karamazov? It is long but, man, truly better than food.

[@BetterThanFoodBookReviews]

On the shelf, hopefully next year. 👍

[@williamneal9076]

Crispin and Julian Glover's both are a Hoot! C&P takes place in the SUMMER swelter. We've never 'suffered' a "summer" in Moskva, but if one is used to 5.8 °C (42.4 °F), I'm fairly certain even 75F is intolerable for long. Just saying. [Great Glover impersonation. Never seen the film. I like the one where he's dressed at dawn as Olivia Newton John on a hill, karaoke!] C&P and others were 'serialized' in the 'papers', yes, back then. In that godless country, as we were taught as children. Such bare faced bullshit. And we could have benefitted or our leaders certainly the moral gifts from this epileptic writer.

[@Junok189]

As a law student, I blame law school. It makes you mad. I have considered a double murder for funds.

[@DTJ2024]

My favourite book ❤

[@maniselvi3162]

What books are to be read to become flim maker aand also movie can any one suggest

[@00Linares00]

Does that mean we are getting Karamazov soon?

[@bluebordercollie]

hello from Brazil

[@gavinritchie649]

WHAT! Crime and Punishment is brilliant and beautifully written. Read a different translation, dude. I almost unsubscribed... but then, you know, I'm going to see what you think of the last half of the book. Seriously thought you'd love this Dostoyevsky. The comparison with the narration of Hunger is apt, but isn't inhabiting an uncomfortable or twisted point of view just your thing? I saw the last parts of the movie before I knew that it was. I came home, turned on the TV, and recognised the dialogue straight away. It was [realising I can't say if you're just half way through] ...

[@horrorgeek5]

I just finished this book a couple weeks ago. Are you a damn mind reader.

[@DemeterTelphousia-Erinyes]

Most people probably know this, but the character of Porfiry Petrovich, the policeman, was one of the inspirations for Columbo. His humanity towards Raskolnikov and the methods he uses to trap him could be seen as similar to Columbo’s.

[@destine1547]

I think authors were paid by the page back then… and it shows… ESPECIALLY when you get to the epilogue

[@BetterThanFoodBookReviews]

I'd totally believe that.

[@hernehill6282]

Was Dostoyevsky also making a political statement regarding western nations (or another colonizer currently in the news)? Like Raskolnikov they rationalized elimination and theft of the 'less worthy' and anyone else that got in the way. Would Dostoyevsky see redemption of the west as impossible, given the its lack of guilt and love -- like a Jack Torrance (The Shining) character, possessed by the ghosts of the past and the banal 'obligation to fulfill his duties'?

[@ryanmurtha2392]

I made it like 300 pages, and was like... ok that's enough. Same with Anna Karenina

[@minniex622]

Same here, never finished reading Anna karenina...😐

[@abe1996]

"OMG covid! Waaahhh! Waaahhh! Waaaaaaahhhhhh!" Did your booster not work or something?

[@juanandresosorio7166]

Do you ever feel you're going crazy?

[@cheeseandonions9558]

This review is more about the reviewer than the book.... Oh well, keep loving this narcissist is if makes you feel good.

[@claudiocruzat8777]

I read the Idiot, when I finished the book I felt like one, what a wast of paper and money. Crime and pun.. its a punishment that Dostoievski is revered as great writer, give me a f.. break. . Huellebecq is the same, but nauseating. How these writers got away with it dazzles me.

[@gilbertpillbrow6978]

Pevear and Volokhonsky are not good translators

[@curtismoore3565]

Have you ever considered reviewing some science fiction?

[@SesameCake]

Great review. But I disagree with your comparison of Dostoevsky to Woody Allen. I get the overanalyzing kvetching can resemble him but Woody Allen doesn't strike me as someone with much moral integrity. He inserts himself into every project he's involved with and has a flat arc. I get that it's mostly comedic, but still I find it lazy. Dostoevsky's characters are crafted with detail and care and even if some of them don't develop, like the Underground Man, they are made that way in order to teach a very important lesson. Woody Allen has NO lessons to teach, aside from how to be a major creep. Sorry, for taking the ethical high ground!

[@bearisok]

Crime and Punishment is anime as shit and I don’t want to elaborate on that

[@youngwerther35]

this is a complex book. raskolnikov is that militant guy who think about social justice but has no moral because he thinks that makes him weak. i think that nietzsche model his ubermench like raskolnikov. a man who love justice but have no moral. but dostoievski show that is impossible to transgress moral and have justice at the same time.

[@Bob-kt6bi]

not sure about the reviewing in two parts, can you atleast finish the book? we're not asking you to write the thing... for example i like to know you've read the book, and digested it, and you're giving your nuanced opinion on it. I've seen in your past videos you enjoyed the start of a book but not the end also.

[@Manfred-nj8vz]

Have you ever read anything by Nikos Kazantzakis? The Last Temptation or Christ Recrucified? That's an author; forget Dostoevsky. Give Kazantzakis a try.

[@Bob2IzIcon]

I would suggest that you at least try and read a bit from a different translation and see what you think. You may feel it isn't well written because the P&V translations are just (in my opinion) extremely dry and dull.

[@earlgrey5521]

Horrible, never ending book. It should come with a PG label, due to all its evil darkness, complete sadness, and general psycho babble. Hunger by Hamsun at least was funny - and short. This is anything but. Burn!

[@-salmather]

I haven't seen a single good English 'Crime and Punishment' movie. There are a few passable Russian ones, but the British and American ones are... dreadful, to say the least. Completely misunderstanding theme, butchering characters, and overall boring as a result (the BBC one is the least of these, but there's still something... off about it).

[@nozecone]

Well, one of the characters does get butchered ...!

[@-salmather]

@@nozecone This comment made my day XD

[@nozecone]

@@-salmather Glad to be of service!

[@TheClickClique]

why do you keep mentioning the coffee and how delicious it is? Are you selling drugs? lol

[@playermartin286]

Badly written? What nonsense

[@ramzizzle]

fun fact: portand, oregon's top export is horrible opinions and worldviews

[@myblackcoffin]

Bad timing

[@thegeniusofthecrowd354]

Anyone else hoping he hates it, so we don't have to read it?