Fyodor Dostoevsky was born in Moscow in 1821. In 1846, his book Poor Folk brought him instant success as a writer (Sher). This success however, was cut short due to an arrest because of his active participation in printing and distributing socialist propaganda (Sher). While in prison, Dostoevsky underwent a political conversion, rejecting socialist ideals for a more conservative stance in politics (Sher). This conversion formed the basis for many of his great novels, such as Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov. When Dostoevsky died in 1881, his novels continued to influence writers such as Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre (Toutonghi). Not only did Dostoevsky influence several writers, but also it's evident that he has also helped to inspire the creation of several motion pictures.
             In 1999, Joseph Sargent produced a film called Crime and Punishment, which was based on the book of the same name. This movie is fast-paced, and moves quickly - sometimes too quickly, which causes some of the novel's details to be omitted. However, this is to be expected when condensing a 500-page novel into a 90-minute film. Despite this fact, it was an excellent movie, with superb acting, and an intriguing story. It was because of this film that I decided to read Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
             Crime and Punishment has a reputation for being dark and obscure, and upon hearing the title, many ban this book to "the do not read" section of their bookshelf. However, if one would approach this novel with an open mind, they would quickly realize how simple it is to become absorbed within its pages. This book was much easier to become involved in, unlike some of Dostoevsky's other works, such as The Brother's Karamazov or Notes from Underground. Perhaps it's because Crime and Punishment, unlike the aforementioned novels, is full of easily recognizable human emotion. It is ...