Penguin Classics Crime and Punishment

A fine translation. Raskolnikov wants to be an ubermensch, "to be a man, not a louse," yet ironically molds himself after Napoleon - willing to sacrifice OTHERS for his own purposes, and thus making himself less like a human and more like a parasite - that lives off the blood of others. My only minor beef with the edition I have is the cover art - although it is super cool, Raskolnikov is pictured as a scary crusty older guy, while in the book he is young, attractive, and yes, disturbed. (This review was written for the "Oliver Ready" translation - I don't know but perhaps should assume that when it shows up under the audiobook narrated by Nigel Anthony, that it is the same translation. There's no indication - does anyone know?

This translation is quite acceptable and does the text justice. Penguin never disappoints. On a personal note, the cover is absolutely an eye-catcher: I got so many questions about what I was reading on the first day I received it! A great option for the first time reader or a lover of the old Constance Gardner version.

You’ve heard about how great this book is. Just go ahead and buy it now and read it. It’s truly a masterpiece.

I read this book just for fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but the protagonist, Roskolikov, is a childish, unlikable jackass. I get the Internal struggle and the supposed justification for his crime in the context of mid-nineteenth century Russia. But I couldn't bring myself to sympathize with a young man who comes off as an egocentric, irrational, silly little boy whose inability to comprehend the basic laws of nature results in two murders. I wanted him to be punished and frankly life in Siberia wasn't punishment enough. The kid was just a creepy little jerk.

I agree with all the enthusiastic reviews--I loved the book. I also found it easier to read and understand than I'd anticipated and believe the translator, Oliver Ready, deserves much of the credit for that. I also found his footnotes to be very helpful and surprised myself by reading almost every one as I went along. I'd love to find an audio version of this translation but haven't had any luck so far. In answer to reviewer marcus1's question, the version narrated by Nigel Anthony looks to be severely abridged and I think is a reading of the Constance Garnett translation. It's really disappointing that that's the version Amazon links to this translation. There are so many versions of the book available on Audible that the company might not be willing to do another. But maybe if enough of us show interest in a reading of this translation, they will consider it.

I love this Dostoyevsky novel and this translation by Oliver Ready is superlative. I emphatically recommend this version!

It is a melodrama, no doubt about it; but it is his departures from the norm and his insights into aberrant psychology that makes it such a fascinating book. It also has unforgettable (if highly contrived) scenes, such as the one when Sonya is accused of stealing a hundred-ruble note. Tormented characters, abject poverty, squalor, madness, passion, philosophy, murder, drunkenness ... it has everything, except for gratuitous sex scenes.

Dostoyevsky brilliantly demonstrates the ultimate fate of individuals, and states, which remove the foundation of the divine from human consciousness. His masterful work indicates that the act of removing God removes the Imago Dei. As a result, human life has no intrinsic value. Raskolnikov's existential punishment, far more than his legal punishment, reveals that there is a reality deep within himself that disagrees with his nihilistic philosophy. I believe that Dostoyevsky's novel predicts the death and destruction that such philosophies wreaked on humanity when given opportunity through Marxist and communist regimes.