Crime and Punishment

The New Translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky

By: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Richard Pevear - translator, Larissa Volokhonsky - translator

Narrated by: Bill Homewood

Hailed by Washington Post Book World as “the best [translation] currently available” when it was first published, this audio edition of Crime and Punishment has been newly recorded for 2025.

ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME

With the same suppleness, energy, and range of voices that won their translation of The Brothers Karamazov the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Prize, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky offer a brilliant translation of Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky's astounding psychological thriller, newly revised for his bicentennial.

In Crime and Punishment, when Raskolnikov, an impoverished student living in the St. Petersburg of the tsars, commits an act of murder and theft, he sets into motion a story that is almost unequalled in world literature for its excruciating suspense, its atmospheric vividness, and its depth of characterization and vision. Dostoevsky’s drama of sin, guilt, and redemption transforms the sordid story of an old woman’s murder into the nineteenth century’s profoundest and most compelling philosophical novel.

This audio edition of Crime and Punishment is read by award-winning narrator Bill Homewood, with audio engineering by Blake Rook. It was produced and published by Echo Point Books & Media, an independent bookseller in Brattleboro, Vermont.

©2012 Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (P)2025 Echo Point Books & Media, LLC

Narration

Amazing novel with an amazing narrator. The last few chapters were especially moving. Would recommend this to anyone that loves a long novel to listen to while driving/cooking/running.

Like a Columbo episode but make it Russian

This book is a page turner I really enjoyed it. The plot is much more chronological and straightforward compared to brothers karamazov, but the characters are much less likable (interesting, well written, but you don't love them like the brothers k characters). Except Rasumikin who is a delight. I loved Rodion's descends into guilt and to me it felt like a Columbo episode, especially the chapters where Porfiry is messing with him. My only complaint is that the narrator has a strange way of doing women's voices. I found his shakey/pitchy voice for Sonia took away from the impact of her character, and especially detracted from the reading of Lazarus. But overall definitely a good audiobook, I'm trying to convince my husband to listen!

Only the First Read

Fascinating… at times a bit rambling on seemingly unrelated parts. The takes a deep dive into the minds of all of his characters the varying rationality of their decision making. Looking forward to a second read through in a couple of years. Great performance by Bill Homewood.

the audio is terribly mixed

The quality of the audio is terrible. It is poorly mixed with very prominent bass and treble with scooped mids. it makes it really unpleasent to listen to, especially if you like to speed up the recording.

if you are stuck with this, you should consider using something to change your EQ to boost the mids and lower the bass and treble.

The reading was excellent, which makes the sloppy mix a sadder matter.

Great Performance

The author of course, perfect; the novel, better every time; and a really talented narrator who brings you in, and will keep you there.