r/dostoevsky • • 22h ago

The cult of Crime and Punishment

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212 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I'm doing some research on Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, and I'd love to hear from people who have read it.

I'm particularly interested in your personal experiences with the book how it made you feel, whether it changed your perspective on guilt, morality, or human nature, and what stayed with you after you finished reading it.

I am ready for both response why you hate it or why you love it

Your responses would genuinely help me with my research, so I'd really appreciate it if you could share your thoughts and experiences. Even a few lines would be helpful. Thank you!


r/dostoevsky • • 16h ago

Versilov's "double" in The Adolescent feels a lot like "the call of the void"/intrusive thoughts

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21 Upvotes

I really like this passage from Part 3, Chapter 10 of The Adolescent. What stands out to me is that this feeling Versilov describes feels quite relatable. You are just standing there being sensible and reasonable, whilst at the same time the other half of you is "absolutely bent on doing something absurd". 

Reading it today, it reminds me a lot of "the call of the void", that sudden intrusive urge to ruin a serious moment or sabotage something for no good reason. I always find it mind blowing how much we can relate to these stories from another era.

The Adolescent doesn't get talked about as much as the Big Four, so I'm curious how others read Versilov at this point in the book (no spoilers on anything that happens later!). Do you see his split mind as a link between The Double and Ivan in Brothers Karamazov, or is he just describing that weird human impulse to self-sabotage?

Fingers crossed I’m not the only one who relates!