No Subject

[Lauren]

Reading from an immature standpoint I could see why you would feel this book to be pointless and boring. But I think the fact that it took that many pages to get across this amazing theory says something. I mean it crosses boundaries on thought of by philosophers, not the common man. I find it rather rude and insulting that you could condemn something you don't understand. Find the merit in the book then write me to tell me why you feel (now that you "understand" it) that it wasn't worth your time, I think understanding it is half the battle of this book. Good luck on your search for all that is simple in life, for I know the simple man finds the simple path.

[Unregistered]

I dont' know why you even read the whole book anyways. Would you like little pictures and captions under each of them? How about summarizing each chapter and making it into a 100 page book? Would these suggestions make the book mroe ejoyable for you?? GROW UP!!

[Sarah C]

I agree... don't let people who over analyze everything tell you what's right or wrong. Sometimes peices of work aren't that good... I think they need to get a life rather than trashing other peoples views. And if they are going to continue on their pathetic path.. have the balls to leave your name

[Joao]

Come on, people! You are overreacting to James' comment. Dostoievski himself would expect from his admirers something more inteligent than "if you didn't like it you didn't understand it". What turns a novel into a master piece is a complicated set of variables, some of them purely random. Crime and Punishment has the merit of discussing important and up-to-date issues, but indeed most of the critics today consider it unecessarily longwinded.

[Andy]

i think the overreactions are because people who love this book really identify with the characters and the depth at which FD writes, and its truly more offensive to hear somebody making a fluttering comment trashing C&P as "boring" without even giving any reason other than, apparently, James here dislikes Raskolnikov and cant relate to his disposition, and didnt appreciate having to plow through 400+ pages to get to, what must have been an insufficiently heroic ending for todays standards (break out some Palahniuk dude - 200 pages, large print, hip language heroic endings. OOOh feels so good)<br><br>FD exposes the often gory details of why people do and say the things they do in such a way that its sickeningly realistic, and it might not be that everybody enjoys being immersed in the paranoia and guilt of what must have been an incredibly brilliant man. and it might also be that most people today cant get past the long russian names they cant figure out how to pronounce. well then this book is not for them.<br><br>i would also venture to say that James would dislike other works along the same lines (Catcher In The Rye, Krzysztof Kieslowski's Decalogue #5 and 6) and that he might enjoy books (and movies) which concern themselves more with external events and action heroes than internal and/or moral issues. <br><br>well, if youre not concerned with moral issues than you DONT have any business commenting on works in which they are the intimate subject, and you certainly cant blame anyone for taking the opportunity to blast someone who has just wandered in to say he didnt like it because it was too long to hold his attention. you should let him defend himself, Joao - not like he'll ever be back here anyways as it was obviously not important to him, and was important to others who do get it. (most critics consider C&P longwinded?! say it aint so, joaoaoaoaoaoao)

[Joe]

James, i disagree, C&P is quite an interesting book, once i picked it up i couldnt put it down, it only took me 2 days to read, and i have read it at least 10 times since. I think its a great literary piece that i will without doubt make my students read when the time comes. It's full of suspense, and intrigue, i couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.

[Joaoaoaoaoao]

The funny thing is that most of the impassioned readers like Andy, if they read such a novel writen by, say, a beginner author, would blast it with the same irony. What we really need in literature sites is people with opinion, not worship to anyone who lived more than one century ago. Just to remember: half of the critics hated The Sound and the Fury (Faulkner) when it was first edited and Du Cote de Chez Swann (Proust) was ridicularized. Time has this incredible effect on some people.

[james]

I dont understand how people found this book enjoyable, i suffered trying to read this book. I disagree with the statement that this was the best book every written because it isnt. ITs really long , time consuming, boring , and doesnt leave a very good impression on the readers. It was bad