Crime and Punishment

Raskolnikov, a destitute and proud former law student in St. Petersburg, murders an old pawnbroker and her sister, believing himself to be an extraordinary man exempt from ordinary moral laws. The novel follows his subsequent psychological disintegration as guilt, paranoia, and isolation consume him, forcing a confrontation with the limits of his rationalist philosophy. Through intense interior monologue and dialogue, Dostoyevsky explores the boundaries of conscience, the nature of evil, and the possibility of redemption through suffering and love.

Description adapted from Open Library bibliographic data ↗.