What Do I Read Next?
Dostoyevsky penned Notes from Underground (1864) shortly before Crime and Punishment. This work, narrated by a troubled and isolated anti-hero, introduces the moral, political, and social themes further explored in Crime and Punishment. Among Dostoyevsky's later works, The Possessed (1871-72) stands out for its critical depiction of young Russian revolutionaries.
Dostoyevsky's final novel, The Brothers Karamazov (1880), is widely regarded as his crowning achievement. This epic family tragedy, which also involves a murder, is renowned for its philosophical exploration of good and evil and the existence of God.
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev, a contemporary of Dostoyevsky, features a young radical as its protagonist. Turgenev's political and social views were in stark contrast to those of Dostoyevsky. This novel sparked significant controversy upon its release in 1862.
Leo Tolstoy's monumental novel War and Peace (1863-69) was serialized around the same period as Crime and Punishment. It depicts upper-class Russian society during the Napoleonic wars. Tolstoy’s clear and straightforward style is often contrasted with Dostoyevsky’s more intense and abrupt narrative approach.
American scholar Joseph Frank has authored a comprehensive multivolume biography of Dostoyevsky. Volume One, Dostoyevsky: The Seeds of Revolt (1976), delves into the novelist's early life and his engagement in radical Russian politics. Volume Two, The Years of Ordeal, 1850-1859 (1983), documents Dostoyevsky's spiritual and political transformation in Siberia. Volume Three, The Stir of Liberation, 1860-1865 (1986), covers the period leading up to the writing of Crime and Punishment.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn (born 1918) is the twentieth-century Russian writer most frequently compared to Dostoyevsky. His novella One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1962; English translation published 1963) provides an account of life in a Soviet prison camp in Siberia.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.