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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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Performance
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Story
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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91 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

the unconscious made conscious

Dostoevsky was said to be able to bring the human unconscious to life in his writings. I have read this masterwork 3 times in my life; it exhausted me each time! I felt somewhat better when I learned that Robert Louis Stevenson had a similar experience. This audiobook is read by a master narrator. One truly experiences Raskolnikov's inner mind, which is the book's essence. This is a must-have for any serious lover of literature.

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74 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Nicely Done

This is a very good audio book. The narrator fits the novel and does well to retain your interest. He does a good job of distinguishing each character by changing his voice slightly. Definately worth getting, if you can deal with a 25 hour novel.

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73 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful Book

I have attempted to read this book twice in the past, both times past the halfway point. Each time I added a much more painful tone to the book than the narrator did in his reading. This meant that I stopped reading the book because it was too mentally overwhelming. However, the narrator reads this book well, both adding more characterization than I did myself and providing a way to seperate characters. The 24 hours went by quickly and found it didn't seem like a long book at all.

Crime and Punishment is a beautiful novel of suffering, pride, hope, redemption, and guilt. Through Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamozov and this novel I have considered all those themes much differently in my life.

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71 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Pure excellence

Before you hear this title, be aware that many other books you have read will seem worse than you thought of them before, and the initial glow of many new books could fade away fast in comparison. At least, that is what happened to me when I read this book. Dostoevsky is one of the best, if not the foremost, describers of our human nature, and "Crime and Punishment" is a work of genius. It is a long book, yes, but then again our human nature is hard to describe swiftly. It is an understatement that I highly recommend this well read masterpiece.

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44 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Pride

Admit it-- there is a certain pride in having accomplished the completion of such a regarded and challenging book, even if it is in audio format. After all, it is not always easy to continue to the end, but not because it is poorly done or boring. As it notes in the prologue, one author describes reading this as being infected with a disease. This classic novel will move you, it will make you think and feel, but you won't always be thinking and feeling positive, happy things.

As is so vitally important in such matters, the reader must be good. While I tired of his interpretation of the main character, Raskolnikov, overall he was a suprior interpreter, a reading of the first class. He better be to listen to him for over 25 hours.

In the end, I have found myself referring to the notions I took from this book in conversations all the time. It has invaded my psyche and is even now affecting some of my personal philosophies as I continue to digest it.

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Crime and Punishment

An excellent audio book. Take a great classic like Crime and Punishment and add George Guidall's superb narration and it just doesn't get any better! I didn't want it to end!

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

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30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best recorded novels

A haunting classic, read by one of the best I've heard. He is so good, that I clicked on his name to find out what else he is reading. The novel itself is easy to follow, tense, and stimulates much thinking. If you have any inclination to read classics, start here!

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26 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb

The novel is a completely gripping study of the mind of the leading character. The narration is superb, no other word for it. His voice is clear and dynamic. When doing dialog you could be listening to a group of different actoors performing the piece. In fact I chose my next selection solely on searching for the same narrator.

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18 people found this helpful