"Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky: Rodion Romanych Raskolnikov is suffering. His existence has grown bleak, a brilliant young life wasting away in the cold, uncompromising streets of St. Petersburg. An aspiring writer, he no longer has enough money to continue his university education; he barely has enough money to eat. He lives in a coffin of an apartment, a single room barely big enough to lay his tattered hat. His rent is past due, with no real prospects for the future. Back home, his mother is similarly strapped, having to borrow money from local merchants; his sister scrapes together what money she can, working as a governess, where she's forced to deal with the unwanted advances of her lecherous employer.
Yet there's only one thing barring Raskolnikov from potential happiness: money. If he had a little money, a few hundred rubles to get him on his feet, to put food on the table, decent clothes on his back, just enough to return him to the university and his destined path to greatness, all would be right with the world.
Pawnbrokers have money. Pawnbrokers can be killed. Perhaps some pawnbrokers, especially old, mean, miserly ones without an ounce of good in their wretched bodies, should be killed. All that's standing between Raskolnikov and a chance at his dreams is an evil old woman, the murdering of one evil old woman. All great men must take that first step towards greatness. In the end, the greater good wins out over any atrocities committed during the journey. Thousands of people die each and every day. The government condones murder in times of war. Would Napoleon had let an old woman stand between him and greatness? The laws are for the unwashed rabble. Great men, men like Raskolnikov, should be above the law. With these thoughts possessing his mind, and an ax under his coat, Raskolnikov rings the pawnbroker's bell.
"Crime and Punishment" is an astounding achievement, working on numerous levels at once. It examines the cause of crime, revealing the social and economic factors that often lead to the desperate acts filling police blotters. It delves into the nature of man, showing that even the best of us, when compromised through environmental circumstances, are capable of unspeakable horrors. And once those acts are committed, has the good man turned evil or was he always evil? Is there a change? Is there any redemption? Then, of course, you get the existential questions about the value of life and whether or not our actions matter at all.
The philosophy alone would be enough, but Dostoevsky crafts an incredibly deep, rich narrative, with multiple storylines converging upon his fallen hero. The more Raskolnikov wants to recede into his personal hell, the more he's drawn into life. Common concerns begin to interrupt the feverish contemplation of his crime. His mother and sister visit, bringing to the forefront Raskolnikov's objections to his sister's impending wedding. He believes she is sacrificing herself for him, marrying some pompous blowhard not out of love but in hopes of improving the family's position. Through his generosity, Raskolnikov also gets involved with the daughter of an equally downtrodden family, falling in love and realizing for the first time that he didn't have to suffer alone. Then there's the constant pestering of his friend Razumikhin, who tirelessly attempts to help despite Raskolnikov's wishes to the contrary. And there's still the matter of the law, as an enterprising detective begins to slowly spin a net around the wanted felon. But all these distractions pale in comparison to the war waging inside Raskolnikov's soul.
As a rule, I generally don't read books that weigh more than I do. That's why you might notice 70 proof is a bit light on the massive epics. But how could I fully grasp the genius of Dostoevsky, my brother, my friend, without ever experiencing his most famous works? So, I did what I had to do. I pushed the bottle aside and went back to solid foods, eating as many as two meals a day. I put on a good ten pounds or so and am ready to tackle "The Brothers Karamazov" next. Although, I fear "War and Peace" is still out of my weight class. I'll have to at least crack welterweight before I give that one a whirl. Then again, Dostoevsky is my brother, Tolstoy is more like a favorite uncle. But someday, someday.
Rest assured, the next time 70 proof updates its top ten, which will probably be in the next week or so, "Crime and Punishment" will be featured at the top, alongside "The Great Gatsby" and "Notes from Underground." The exact order is still open for debate, but "Crime and Punishment" will most definitely be there. It receives 70 proof's highest possible recommendation.
RATING: 