11.06.06
Crime and Punishment – Initial Thoughts
Last night I began a journey into Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. I can already tell I will not escape this book without significant contemplation. All his characters are well drawn and captivating, and he has a way of making your heart break for them. In several instances, already, he has shown or signaled the end of a matter and then proceeds to walk through it entirely. As you see the end coming in the distance you plead with the character to change, but the deed is already done. It is not unlike knowing someone who is about to ruin their lives by their foolishness and, because you know the person, you sense it’s inevitability. It hurts much worse than hearing about it after the fact because your pain is renewed with each step towards the fatal end.
I will not escape from this.
Steven K said,
November 6, 2006 at 4:09 pm
and the names are hard to pronounce too. whenever i read any of his books i end up, in my own mind, substituting a different name every time the actual name appears (i think i called Raskolnikov Sam or something). good luck with that one, “Sam” gets into all sorts of fun.
Adam B. said,
November 6, 2006 at 4:29 pm
That is a great idea. The names have tended to slow down my reading as I have tried to pronounce them in my head. Sam… That’s a name I can work with. Perhaps Raskolnikov was a common name in Russia at that time?
Lonnie Mishy said,
November 6, 2006 at 5:58 pm
Sadly, I can really relate to that feeling right now. A close friend of mine, is plodding down a road that will ultimately destroy him and some others…it hurts so bad to watch…I almost wish I could go to sleep and wake up 2 years from now, when everyone is recovering, and THEN react to it…this is torture.