Crime and Punishment Audiobook By Fyodor Dostoyevsky cover art

Crime and Punishment

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Crime and Punishment

By: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Narrated by: Will Poulter
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Often considered one of the first ever psychological thrillers, Crime and Punishment is a gripping tale of a poverty-stricken young man in Saint Petersburg, Russia, who hatches a plan to kill someone for money. Once the deed is done, he finds himself racked with guilt, confusion and disgust for his act.

In this new recording, Will Poulter (Detroit, Midsommar, The Maze Runner) gives new life to the troubled protagonist, Rodion Raskolnikov, in a performance that will have you questioning where we draw the line between right and wrong.

Public Domain (P)2020 Audible, Ltd Literary Fiction Russia Classics Inspiring Fiction Genre Fiction

Editorial review


By Mysia Haight, Audible Editor

FAN OF PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS? THANK DOSTOYEVSKY FOR HIS GROUNDBREAKING CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

In Crime and Punishment, there’s no mystery about the identity of the murderer—it’s Rodion Raskolnikov, the protagonist, and the novel, while using a third-person narrative, focuses primarily on his perspective. The real mystery is his motive, and the tension comes from whether he’ll continue to justify his actions and struggle with his guilt—or confess to murdering two women.

Part one ends with the crime. The rest of the book—parts two through six—deals with the punishment. The detective tasked with solving the murders, Porfiry Petrovich soon suspects Raskolnikov but lacks evidence. As Raskolnikov becomes increasingly racked with guilt, Petrovich uses psychological means, escalating his suspect’s dazed and unhinged state in the hopes of goading him into a confession. But Crime and Punishment is about much more than a cat-and-mouse game. Through Raskolnikov’s internal torment and his relationships with other characters—the vulnerable and empathetic young prostitute, Sonya; his beautiful, strong-willed sister, Dunya, and the two reprehensible men determined to claim her; and his loyal friend, the honorable and resourceful Razumikhin—Dostoyevsky raises questions about what makes a person "good" (morally) or "extraordinary," and whether even the most noble humanitarian ends ever justify cruel and evil means. In our current political climate and social media landscape, such thorny questions—and our answers—matter.

Crime and Punishment is definitely an epic, and the audiobook runs just over 22 hours. With talented actor Will Poulter at the mic, however, you’ll find it hard to stop listening. And afterwards, you’re bound to keep thinking about Dostoyevsky’s take on immorality, the danger of both desperation and hubris, and the power of a guilty conscience.

Continue reading Mysia's review >
Philosophical Exploration • Psychological Thriller • Exceptional Voice Acting • Distinctive Character Voices

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Celebrity performances can very drastically. Hearing James Franco read Slaughterhouse Five was painful. Will Poulter clearly understood the assignment and took it seriously.

fantastic performance

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This is a wonderful book. The characters are extremely well written. The story is one of the best I have ever heard. I need to listen to it multiple times to get all the meaning this book has to offer. God is good, he can save us all.

I wished I would have listened to this book sooner in life.

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I listened to several samples and I felt Will was the best. his narration truly was well throughout the whole story. I didn't know how is feel about the book but only heard negative grumblings. the story turned out to be well written with so many different parts for discussion. I have already recommended this classic which I only read for book club and also recommend this narrator.i how Will continues to narrate, he's great and makes the characters come to life.

great book and narrator

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The narration brought the characters alive and oh what characters!!! Thank you for such a wonderful performance!!

The narration did honor to the book! Masterful -

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The performance was great and gave even more depth to the characters. The story is a classic and I feel that this reading will become one too.

My Favorite book of all times

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