The Crime and Punishment THC book club thread (bring your own cheese platter)

#1

I’m one chapter in and this is reinforcing all my stereotypes of Russian men.

#2

Thanks to the joys of audiobooks and dog walks, I’ve got through the crime, now am in mid-escape.

My impression so far is that this was probably for the Russian upper middle class what “The Wire” was for white urban and suburban professionals ie:

  • an introduction to the lives and motivations of an underclass that they rarely encountered or engaged with;
  • that may or may not be all that well researched; and
  • was probably accepted as accurate largely because it confirmed their stereotypes

I can imagine that after-dinner readings of this were like a modern day couple snuggling in to watch The Wire on their flatscreen.

The murder scene particularly had that sort of vividness that would have titallated and provided whatever the 19th century version of Monday watercooler chatter was.

A quick check on Wikipedia confirms Dostie released this in a 12 part serialisation, which reinforces that each 12 part episode will have the sort of hook that is designed more for a 1 week delay and contemplation rather than running immediately into the next chapter.

Unfortunately, Google doesn’t quickly provide me with a chart matching the chapters to the historic serialisation schedule.

#3

I think my audiobook version was abridged, because it ended too fast for what was supposed to be a ~500 page book.

Key takeaway - the love interest tacked on at the end of the story was not believable. Maybe that was more representative of the attitude of Russian men at the time ie that women’s function was only to be a testament to the story of the men they attached themselves to. Or possibly because I cheap-arsed my way through the book by doing it by abridged(?) audiobook.

In any case, I found it unconvincing and very trite. Not clear on how this rates as great literature, but the 19th century was a pretty crap place for literature, so maybe it scrapes through on being marginally better than a novel by one of the Bronte sisters.

#4

Abridging this book may be a good solution …

#5

It was written for a people who have to spend 6 months buried in snow with nothing to do but drink vodka and read long, dense books.

#6

I’ve just launched myself into Solzhenitsyn’s “The Gulag Archipelago” (audiobook version, I’m fairly sure it’s not abridged).

Not bad so far and not too ponderous.

Perhaps THC could abandon C&P and switch to Solzhenitsyn’s “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”.

Amazon says its only 208 pages. It’s likely just a grim as C&P, but probably more interesting, with less turgid prose.

#7

Not much love for Crime and Punishment on today’s podcast.

I think there would be a lot of sympathy and understanding if you were to abandon the project at this stage. It’s not a piece of literature worth martyring yourselves over.

You’ve persisted long than Halibut did. That’s all the moral victory you need.

#8

I am starting to wonder whether Dost’s aim in writing the book was to bring the reader to the same state of mind as Raskol.

#9

Contemptible loser who can’t do anything right?

#11

I’ve just finished reading Dost’s “Notes from the Underground”. It’s a lot short than C&P.

The man has a talent for creating contemptible male characters and making you feel like reaching through the page and punching the characters in the head. The narrators in NftU is far worse and far more ineffectual than Raskol. The male leads in both books sit on the same spectrum of entitled, self-grandiose but useless characters.

Possibly autobiographical by Dostie?

A common theme between both books is giving some young prostitute with a paper thin character a role as pitiful figure, perverse love interest and moral saviour of the contemptible lead male.