Book 2: Favorite Passages.

I was talking to a girl at work, Kyla, about how long it is taking me to get through Crime and Punishment. Its not that I’m not enjoying it, it’s more that after reading it for thirty or so minutes, I find myself getting depressed. I feel for Raskolnikov, even if he is a murderer.

In this conversation with Kyla, we were joking that I am going to rename it as such: Crime aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd Punishment.

If you’ve read the novel, you’ll know that the crime happens early on and the formal punishment for Raskolnikov occurs with about 20 or so pages left (at least that’s how many pages in my edition). The whole middle part is filled with plots involving his mother and sister, an old employer of his sister, a friend, some insanity, and all kinds of other pieces of drama.

With all that said, I actually really like the novel. In fact, I have over 50 pages marked with post-its. I don’t want to post all 50, but here are some of my favorites.

The first is from the portion of the book where Katerina Ivanovna is hosting a dinner after her husband’s funeral. I like this line simply because it’s a whole lot of ladies:

“To this Amalia Ivanovna very appropriately observed that she had invited those ladies, but ‘those ladies had not come, because those ladies are ladies and cannot come to a lady who is not a lady,’” (317).

From a discussion about whether certain people have the right and ability to commit murders:

“’But the real geniuses,’ asked Razumihin frowning, ‘those who have the right to murder? Oughtn’t they to suffer at all even for the blood they’ve shed?’

‘Why the word ought? It’s not a matter of permission of prohibition. He will suffer if he is sorry for his victim. Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth,’ he added dreamily, not in the tone of the conversation,” (215).

And before a character commits suicide:

“’Well, brother, I don’t mind that. It’s a good place. When you are asked, you just say he was going, he said, to America.’ He put the revolver to his right temple.

‘You can’t do it here, it’s not the place,’ cried Achilles, rousing himself, his eyes growing bigger and bigger.

Svidrigailov pulled the trigger (417).”

Just a favorite:

“There is a line in everything which it is dangerous to overstep; and when it has been overstepped, there is no return,” (245).

There are many more, but I don’t want to rewrite the entire thing here. I am almost done, just a few pages left!