The novel follows the story of a man named Raskolnikov, who murders an old pawnbroker and her sister. He believes that he is exempt from moral laws due to his social status as an impoverished and uneducated former student. However, he soon becomes haunted by the ghost of the murdered woman and her brother, who confront him with his guilt. Raskolnikov's descent into madness and despair is a central theme of the novel, as he struggles to come to terms with his actions and their consequences.
By Fyodor Dostoevsky · First published 1840 · Genre: Short Stories, Classic Literature, Psychological Fiction