Crime and Punishment (Recorded Books Edition)

By: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Constance Garnett - translator

Narrated by: George Guidall

Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment is universally regarded as one of literature's finest achievements, as the great Russian novelist explores the inner workings of a troubled intellectual. Raskolnikov, a nihilistic young man in the midst of a spiritual crisis, makes the fateful decision to murder a cruel pawnbroker, justifying his actions by relying on science and reason, and creating his own morality system. Dehumanized yet sympathetic, exhausted yet hopeful, Raskolnikov represents the best and worst elements of modern intellectualism. The aftermath of his crime and Petrovich's murder investigation result in an utterly compelling, truly unforgettable cat-and-mouse game. This stunning dramatization of Dostoevsky's magnum opus brings the slums of St. Petersburg and the demons of Raskolnikov's tortured mind vividly to life.

Translation by Constance Garnett, originally published in 1917.Public Domain (P)1991 by Recorded Books, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The novels of Dostoevsky are seething whirlpools...which hiss and boil and suck us in. They are composed purely and wholly of the stuff of the soul." (Virginia Woolf)

OUTSTANDING!

Outside of the Holy Bible, this is my favorite book of all time. I've read hundreds and hundreds of books but none have the power of this one.
While listening to it one time, I was in deep depression and I felt like this book was a balm to my deep emotional wounds. The relation and connection was deep and intense. It expanded my mind like few books ever have.
I absolutely marvel at the power and force of such an incredible classic. No doubt that Dostoyevsky had an ability to climb into the human psyche like no one before and maybe no one ever will. This is my 3rd time listeing to the book and it gets better every time. George Guidall's mastery of the text only enhances the depth of this masterpiece. Each time I listen, I am more and more grateful for his emphasis and pauses which only deepen my appreciation for the text. I wish I could give it a 7 star rating.

Not easy to listen to

I feel slightly different than the other listeners here. First, yes this is a great story and narrated by the best. That being said, I found it to be difficult to listen to at times and kept thinking, when will it ever end? I'm not saying don't listen but I am saying, don't think for one minute this is a light "read". Listening to this one feels like heavy work at times.

Fear and loathing in St Petersburg

Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment has a towering reputation. The audiobook is definitely worth listening to, but be prepared for a very slow moving and dense opening. It seemed that the story developed pace only near its midpoint. Having said this, this is an extraordinary work, and raises fundamental issues. The main philosophy of the protagonist, Raskolnikov, could superficially be described as the ?intellectual omelette? approach - intellectuals or ?superiors? must inevitably break some eggs (disturb or even shed the lives of some ordinary folk, or ?inferiors?, who are in the way) to make an omelette (for example, impose new laws or philosophies, make new scientific discoveries, or right wrongs) for the greater good. Raskolnikov?s model for this was Napoleon, but Dostoevsky would certainly have been pained to see how a form of this philosophy was used as a justification for mass genocide by left and right wing dictatorships in the 20th Century. Thought provoking, to be sure.

George Guidall's narration has true quality, but can be a little slow and dry. A rendition by the late Peter Ustinov would have been perfect.

Absolutely Superb

George Guidall performs this work wonderfully. It is a marvelous listening experience. I could not recommend it more highly.

Three cheers for Guidall?

I applaud George Guidall for taking control of the entire scope of Dostoevskys novel. This is a fantastic performance not just a passive reading of the book. Guidall captures the paranoid, neurotic Raskolnikov and the sly detective Petrovich who is, in my opinion, the precursory archetype of almost every psychology-drenched criminal profiler of contemporary fiction and television. He even performs the deceptively amoral Svidrigailov with deft depth avoiding an often mistaken melodrama. Those familiar with the novel will enjoy the vitality that Guidall brings to the work and strangers will find it accessible.

Beautiful narration of a masterpiece

Crime And Punishment is a masterpiece of the human condition and the narrator was wonderful, interpreting the nuances of this masterpiece beautifully

Higher Than the Law

I wholly enjoyed this book, though I'm glad it wasn't any longer than it was. I am enjoying this book equally--if not more--in reflection.

Dostoyevsky delivers with numerous monologues and character pairings to highlight the various traits of his characters. My favorite scenes (in no particular order):
- The mule-thrashing
- The murder
- The Book of John (Lazarus)
- The Eplilogue
- The final scene between Dunya and Svidrigailov
- The Petróvich inquiries

It was quite difficult keeping all the character names straight, esp. since characters are interchangably referenced by first names, last names and even nicknames. Regardless: I find myself thinking about these characters at lot. Especially the foil Sonia and her relationship with Rodion.

I find it tough to summarize this book in a quick and witty way. I certainly will have more Dostoyevsky on my wishlist, and I wouldn't be surprised if I came back to C&P for an encore a few years from now.

And finally: fifty kabillion stars for George Guidall. He is the third dimension of the printed word--just superb!

Many Genres in One

I went into this book expecting a brooding tragedy, given the subject matter and my prior experience with Dostoevsky, so I was very surprised by the book itself; it's at times comedy, suspense, drama, romance, and philosophical. I was amazed at how Dostoevsky was able to weave all of these elements into one story without feeling jarring. This is my third work by Dostoevsky (The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov), and my favorite so far (Brothers K in 2nd).

I was annoyed at first by the narration, which seemed to be at a snails pace at first. But, after I got into the rhythm of the book, I really began to enjoy the narrator (particularly the characterization of certain characters and the gravitas he brought to certain scenes).

adds another dimension

This is one of the books that i have reread; i've read it three times and think it is marvelous. Listening adds another dimension to the story - the scene between Ivan and the Devil that takes place in the middle of the night has always mystified me, hearing it clarified the conversation so plainly that i wondered why i had a problem with it earlier. Personally, i think it is one of the most perfect novels i have read.

A Must-Have Classic

George Guidall masterfully narrates this classic work of literature. His pace is perfect. Savor this work as he bring to life one of the most anxiety driven thrillers I can imagine.