Crime and Punishment

Ranked among the 100 Best Novels by The Telegraph

Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s profound psychological masterpiece, plunges into the darkest recesses of the human soul. The novel follows Rodion Raskolnikov, a impoverished former student who justifies a brutal murder through a warped belief in the moral supremacy of extraordinary individuals. As his conscience unravels, Raskolnikov’s harrowing descent into guilt and self-destruction becomes a riveting meditation on morality, suffering, and the possibility of redemption.

Against the grim backdrop of 19th-century St. Petersburg—a city teeming with poverty and desperation—Dostoevsky weaves a gripping narrative of intellectual arrogance and spiritual reckoning. Through hauntingly complex figures like Sonia, the self-sacrificing prostitute, and Porfiry Petrovich, the cunning investigator who probes Raskolnikov’s psyche, the novel exposes the clash between cold rationality and the transformative power of conscience.

At its heart, Crime and Punishment is a timeless interrogation of justice, free will, and the enduring need for salvation. Dostoevsky’s penetrating insight into human nature, combined with his masterful prose and unforgettable characters, cements the novel as one of literature’s most enduring and thought-provoking works—an essential journey into the depths of the human condition.

About the author

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821–1881) was one of Russia's greatest novelists, celebrated for his profound psychological insight and exploration of moral and existential dilemmas. His works, including The Brothers Karamazov, The Idiot, and Notes from Underground, continue to resonate with readers worldwide for their timeless examination of the human condition.