Crime and Punishment ~ Feodor Dostoevsky hardback

and Punishment. It first appeared in installments in Russian Messenger in 1866. By this time, Dostoevsky had been orphaned, imprisoned, almost died, lost his wife and his brother. He was also neck-deep in debt. From such a man came the story of the psychological impact of committing a crime. In this book, Raskolnikov murders an old, evil pawnbroker. Good riddance, according to him, since the woman was an oppressor of the weak, and this act allowed him to solve his own financial problems. Yet, it is a crime, and the guilt begins gnawing at him inside, even though he considers himself to be an ‘extraordinary person’ whose actions are above the law.