Crime and Punishment (Recorded Books Edition)

By: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Constance Garnett - translator

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 25 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

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)

Great Book

This is one of the greatest books ever. I read it a couple of times and couldn't stop.

One of the best one hundred books ever written

If you could sum up Crime and Punishment in three words, what would they be?

Crime and Punishment

What other book might you compare Crime and Punishment to and why?

In one of the chapters of Brother's Karamazov, there is a long account that has most of the elements latter used in Crime and Punishment. I believe that his author was very concerned about redemption after committing a crime, through facing open punishment, both towards other human beings and to the law. There is another book, called Five Steps to Redemption, in which you, in order to be redeemed, need to place yourself in the same position you were when you broke the law, but this time you have to choose to act differently than before. Only then you would be granted true redemption. In Crime and punishment, you must confess in the streets, to everybody, crying aloud: I'm a murderer. I'm a murderer. After which, you should accept be put in prison to pay for the wrongs you have made. Only then, would you find true peace of mind and begin to live again. I believe Crime and Punishment should be read along with Five Steps Towards Redemption, for an enhanced comprehension of this issue, along with some chapters of Brothers Karamazov, to see how ingrained this idea is in its author.

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Saint Augustine used to say that faith entered by the ears. Some things that went unnoticed while I was reading gained more importance while I am listening to it. But I believe such great books deserve to be both read and listen to, because the two ways complement each other in a very powerful fashion. You should also watch a well done BBC production on it, read papers on magazine dedicated in literature, read the biography of Dostoyevsky. All it takes to fully grasp the essence of what you read, rather than just reading several other cheap and shallow books. One should do this to all great books of humankind. If you happen to leanr at a high level another language, you should read/or listen it in that other language as well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I prefer Bother's Karamazov. It is much deeper.But Crime and Punishment is better finished as a work of art. Both should be read.

Any additional comments?

Remember to read Five Step Towards Redemption to enhance the analyze of Crime and Punishment. They both match very well, and deepen the issues involved.

Reputation precedes the author!

I'm a commercial driver behind the wheel 10-15 hours at a time. This story is captivating every single minute! Highly recommend it to anyone!

I like the classics, but this was depressing

Would you listen to another book narrated by George Guidall?

his cadence was very slow

Any additional comments?

I was not able to finish the book at this time, it was too depressing for me at the time. Maybe I'll go back to it

A True Classic.

This book is an undisputed classic for me. The twists and turns of the characters were never predictable and always held my attention and suspense. The reading was alright, but could have done without as many dramatic pauses as the narrator threw in. It was pretty much the only detraction I could make from this incredible audio book.

Masterful narration of a masterpiece

I have read Dostoevsky's masterpiece in the past and wanted to reread it but considered it a huge chore. Instead, I decided to listen to George Guidall's rendition because of my past enjoyment of his amazing gift as a catalyst between the written word and the spoken word.. The audiobook immediately captured my interest and attention in a way that reading the book never did. Guidall made the characters come alive. How a narrator could carefully enunciate all the Russian names and give them separate voices and fully express the emotions and meaning in the text seemed such a wonderful feat, that I felt an obligation to tell potential listeners that they should not be afraid to invest the 25 plus hours to enjoy one of the greatest classics of world literature.

A vanished world

They don’t write books like this anymore; because people like this don’t exist anymore; and the readers they were written for don’t exist either.

The Russia culture of the middle 19th Century is no more. That is a pity; but it cannot be helped. Perhaps in 150 years people will read of our Century and think it more interesting than their own–if people are still reading books by then.

But in 1861 Crime and Punishment was serialized in the same magazine, and in the same issues, as War and Peace. We are not likely to improve on that–except in one way: you can now listen to it.

If you have the time, 24 solid hours of listening time; and want to enjoy another, richer era, where people still had time to live fully, put on your headphones.

Dont be intimidated by its length

You have to find out for yourself, why this book has been popular for decades. Despite its length, I was unable to stop listening because the story is so moving. It is a completely original story with well developed characters and situations.

Much easier to listen to than I anticipated

Wow, I can't believe I got through high school and college without reading this book! I thought it would be a difficult read, but George Guidall does such an outstanding job narrating it that it was a pleasure to listen to. I disagree with those reviewers who say his narration was too slow - it was perfect, and allows you to digest the story. He is able to create separate voices for all the characters. Yes, it is a heavy novel and depressing at times, yet I wanted to continue listening. I liked it very much.

Great narrator for a great, intense tale

This story is so intense, and George Guidall's narration is perfect because he conveys the intensity without causing the listener to become overwhelmed. The voices of the different characters are subtly different, which makes for a smooth listen, and that's certainly appreciated when reading such a heavy tale.