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Crime and Punishment (Recorded Books Edition)  By  cover art

Crime and Punishment (Recorded Books Edition)

By: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Constance Garnett - translator
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Editorial reviews

George Guidall's performance of this literary classic transports the audience to the slums of St. Petersburg and deep into the mind of Rodion Raskolnikov, a young Russian intellectual. Raskolnikov murders an old woman, a money-lender and pawn-broker he considers repugnant. He reasons that he'll repay his crimes with good deeds. Although he justifies the murder using reason and intellect, he is ultimately consumed by guilt. Crime and Punishment is one of the most influential works of literature in the world. Guidall's tremulous voice captures the severity and suspense of this story, making this an unforgettable experience for the listener.

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)

What listeners say about Crime and Punishment (Recorded Books Edition)

Average customer ratings
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Excellent Narration

I appreciated the narrator's characterizations which made for very enjoyable listening. to a powerful story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Difficult start, but worth it in the end

Crime and Punishment, like the title suggests is not a fun read. The first hour is disturbing and I had to push through. The main thesis of the protagonist is deep and complex. Once I understood it, it became very meaningful, especially in light of the political scene in America,, 2019.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant

Amazing performance by the reader, the changes in his voice depending on the character makes it pretty good to follow regardless of the complicated names.
the plot is simply brilliant.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Unsure

My intellectual capacity falls short of this book's literary intelligence. I need to read it again, likely three more times unlocking additional comprehention with each successive reading. The literary topics are at times cultural, historical, and philosophical. The last five or six chapters were really good and the ending touching and uplifting. The narrator, George, was incredible. My regards to Roger. James Nichols.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

So Depressing

This is the second most terrible book I have ever read. I literally have not been able to finish it. The narrator does a fantastic job of conveying the bleak despair of the main character and the world he inhabits, but if you are looking for an entertaining read, this is not the book. I fully understand the political and literary significance of Crime and Punishment, which is why I wanted to read it. I'm just going to have to stay ignorant, because this is not a book I want to be friends with.

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One of the best books ever written

I need to say that this is the first of Dostoevsky’s books that I have ever read. The result of this simple fact is that I want to read as many from his other works as possible and maybe even try to get acquinted with other Russian realists. This is simply my cup of tea and I am super happy that I finally got to read this novel. It was amazing. All of it! The performance of the narrator, the originality of the characters, Raskolnikov's internal fight, the whole story itself! I just loved every piece of it, but what I enjoyed the most were the internal monologues that Raskolnikov led with himself about what happened and how he was reacting to it. It was a beautiful deep dive into the human nature and conscience and I really recommend this book to anyone who is interested psychological novels. Watch out, it is not an easy book. But it is definitely worth it, because I can guarantee you that once you finish it, you will never forget this story! Five stars out of five from me!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I'm not sure what to think if this book.

Narration was great, but at times hard to follow. I think that is more due to the Russian to English plus 150 years. Each person has multiple names they go by and sometimes they are hard to distingish.

The story is a very interesting look into the psyche of a criminal and detective work of the era. There are a few tangents into political ideals, but overall they are facinating to see the prominent idwas of that period.

Physical copy may help for more study, but audible gives you the story.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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Weird Narration

The story is worth commenting on since it is a classic, but the narration was weird. There were frequent, lengthy pauses. Not dramatic effect pauses, just weird awkward silence. Definitely would recommend another narration of this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a classic story very well narrated

the narrator was able to portray the wide range of emotions and the poignant subject matter was handled wonderfully

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Obviously a classic. Narration is slow and low

My only issue with the audiobook is that it seemed to have a very heavy bass which made it difficult to listen to over even my nice speakers. Furthermore although the narration was good, it definitely could have been a tad quicker. Probably could’ve taken an hour off of the listening time if the long pauses were edited.

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