This is a famous book. 
This is a famous book. 
The story is about a man named Raskolnikov. He lives in a tiny room. He is very poor. He makes a bad choice and hurts others. 
After he does this, he feels very bad. He feels scared and sick. He is full of guilt.
A detective tries to find the truth. The book shows how hard it is to live with a secret. It is a very important story. 
Crime and Punishment is a famous novel. 
The story is set in Saint Petersburg. 

After the crime, Raskolnikov feels terrible. He feels sick and very scared. He struggles with guilt and horror. A detective named Porfiry Petrovich studies the case. Porfiry thinks Raskolnikov is the one who did it. The book shows the mental pain of his choice. It is one of the greatest books in the world. Dostoevsky wrote it while under great pressure to finish his work. A woman named Anna Snitkina helped him. She later became his wife.
*Crime and Punishment* is a famous novel by the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. 
The story takes place in Saint Petersburg. 

Dostoevsky began writing this work after returning from ten years of exile in Siberia. 
Writing the novel was a long and changing process. Dostoevsky first thought of it as a shorter story or novella. In September 1865, he wrote to a publisher named Mikhail Katkov about his ideas. By November 1865, he decided it should be a full novel. He even changed how the story was told to the reader. He moved from using a first-person narrator to a third-person narrator. This change helped him show the deep changes in Raskolnikov's character.
The novel connects to real ideas about how people view laws and morality. Raskolnikov's ideas are linked to a way of thinking called "radicalism." A detective named Porfiry Petrovich investigates the crime in the book. Porfiry studies an article Raskolnikov wrote called "On Crime." In that article, the student argued that certain people could step across moral boundaries. This connection between his writing and his actions drives much of the tension. The book shows how hard it is to live with the consequences of one's choices.
*Crime and Punishment* is a famous novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. 
The plot follows Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished former law student in Saint Petersburg. 

Dostoevsky's writing process involved several major structural changes. He originally planned the work as a shorter novella rather than a full novel. In September 1865, he wrote to the publisher Mikhail Katkov about his "unfinished" ideas. By November 1865, he officially decided to expand the work into a novel. He also changed the narrative perspective significantly. He moved from a first-person narrator to an innovative third-person narrative. This shift allowed him to show the character's internal perspective while maintaining a broader view. 
Several different versions of the text exist due to these changes. Soviet editors later reassembled Dostoevsky's notebooks to show the stages of composition. These include a fragmentary working draft of the original novella. There is also a version known as the Wiesbaden edition. This edition focuses entirely on the narrator's psychological reactions after the murder. It was written in the form of a diary or journal. This corresponds closely to what eventually became part 2 of the finished novel. The final version emerged only after the decision to use third-person narration.
Dostoevsky faced immense personal and professional pressure while writing. He owed large sums of money to many creditors at the time. He was also trying to support the family of his brother, Mikhail, who died in 1864. He had to finish *Crime and Punishment* while also writing *The Gambler*. This second book was for the publisher Fyodor Stellovsky, who imposed harsh conditions. A stenographer named Anna Snitkina helped him during this difficult period. She later became Dostoevsky's wife. The novel was published in twelve monthly installments throughout 1866.
The novel contains many complex characters and social interactions. Raskolnikov meets Semyon Marmeladov, a man who squandered his family's wealth. Marmeladov's daughter, Sonya, becomes a prostitute to support her family. Raskolnikov also deals with his sister, Dunya, and her difficult suitor, Luzhin. The detective Porfiry Petrovich plays a crucial role in the investigation. Porfiry studies an article Raskolnikov wrote titled "On Crime." In this article, the student argued that certain people could step across legal boundaries. This intellectual conflict drives much of the tension between the detective and the student.
*Crime and Punishment* connects to broader social and political ideas of the 1860s. It explores the moral and psychological dangers of the ideology known as "radicalism." The book examines how individual theories can clash with social laws and human conscience. It remains a vital text for understanding the relationship between crime, punishment, and the human mind. Through Raskolnikov's metamorphosis, Dostoevsky shows the struggle to live with one's own actions. The work continues to be studied for its profound insight into the human condition.
🖼️ Images & Media (3)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.