Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great
American Read
Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through
the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse
or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for
a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a
dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator,
Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds
the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a
downtrodden prostitute, can offer the chance of redemption.
This vivid translation by David McDuff has been acclaimed as the most
accessible version of Dostoyevsky's great novel, rendering its dialogue
with a unique force and naturalism. This edition also includes a new
chronology of Dostoyevsky's life and work.