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I have read it, and consider it one of his weaker novels - as he did himself - although I love everything he wrote. Being hyper-empathetic, I have a hard time hearing about graphic acts of violence; this is a problem I have with all of his major four novels, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov and House of the Dead, insofar as they all contain unnecessarily explicit descriptions of violent acts.

I love the theme of Christian redemption at the end of the novel, and the idea that even as depraved a character as Raskolnikov can be redeemed by the Christian power of love. I do think this theme was summed up better and more maturely in Brothers Karamazov and even House of the Dead, however. Dostoyevsky considered The Idiot his best novel, and Prince Myshkin his surrogate son. I think if he had lived a little longer, however, he'd have concluded - rightly - that Brothers Karamazov was his best work. Alyosha, the hero, was actually named after his biological son, who died in infancy (I can't remember whether before or after The Idiot).

Dostoyevsky's view that our humanity is all that matters, is all that is capable of redeeming the endless suffering of our "being-in-the-world-as-such", as existentialists would call it, is I think the Alpha and Omega of his philosophy, and there are passages in Crime and Punishment which convey this very movingly. Just don't, whatever you do, view it as a detective story or a voyeuristic "slasher" type story. It is, apart from its quintessentially Russian morbid obsession with pain and violence, a fundamentally and humbly Christian work, though I don't mean this in too doctrinaire a sense. It's Christian in the sense that it's such a powerful eulogy on the Christian virtues and their power to transform the life of the lost, lonely individual; not to rid him of his suffering, but to allow him to achieve a kind of nobility through it; a kind of joy and despair at the same time. The central theme of Crime and Punishment is best summed up in these words from Brothers Karamazov, written by Dmitri to his brother Alyosha, after the former is convicted (presumably falsely) of patricide and sent to Siberia:

Can you see the real me? Can ya? CAN YA?! !
you tube video can you see the real me the who

^^^^ Beautiful blue eyes. Great hair.

I have read it, and consider it one of his weaker novels - as he did himself - although I love everything he wrote. Being hyper-empathetic, I have a hard time hearing about graphic acts of violence; this is a problem I have with all of his major four novels, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov and House of the Dead, insofar as they all contain unnecessarily explicit descriptions of violent acts.

I love the theme of Christian redemption at the end of the novel, and the idea that even as depraved a character as Raskolnikov can be redeemed by the Christian power of love. I do think this theme was summed up better and more maturely in Brothers Karamazov and even House of the Dead, however. Dostoyevsky considered The Idiot his best novel, and Prince Myshkin his surrogate son. I think if he had lived a little longer, however, he'd have concluded - rightly - that Brothers Karamazov was his best work. Alyosha, the hero, was actually named after his biological son, who died in infancy (I can't remember whether before or after The Idiot).

Dostoyevsky's view that our humanity is all that matters, is all that is capable of redeeming the endless suffering of our "being-in-the-world-as-such", as existentialists would call it, is I think the Alpha and Omega of his philosophy, and there are passages in Crime and Punishment which convey this very movingly. Just don't, whatever you do, view it as a detective story or a voyeuristic "slasher" type story. It is, apart from its quintessentially Russian morbid obsession with pain and violence, a fundamentally and humbly Christian work, though I don't mean this in too doctrinaire a sense. It's Christian in the sense that it's such a powerful eulogy on the Christian virtues and their power to transform the life of the lost, lonely individual; not to rid him of his suffering, but to allow him to achieve a kind of nobility through it; a kind of joy and despair at the same time. The central theme of Crime and Punishment is best summed up in these words from Brothers Karamazov, written by Dmitri to his brother Alyosha, after the former is convicted (presumably falsely) of patricide and sent to Siberia:

Having fun at the Big Gay Out today. Very hot, lots of headache tablets, but fun.

Sorry to derail further, but seeing a discussion about Dostoievsky here is so unusual I can't resist.

Try Demons/The Possessed - he anticipates the horrors of the Bolshevik revolution and the depravity of their methods and goals in uncanny detail and is generally a fascinating, if deeply disturbing book. Given some of your views and how well read you are, I think you would appreciate it.

Also, Joseph Frank wrote an excellent biography where he puts Dostoyevsky's work in context: historical, political and ideological without which I don't think his work can be fully understood and appreciated.

Having fun at the Big Gay Out today. Very hot, lots of headache tablets, but fun.

Have you posted a pic of yourself before ? You are exactly as I imagined you.