Verbrechen und Strafe

by Bastien Loukia, Fyodor Dostoevsky

Seul l'être capable d'indépendance spirituelle est digne des grandes entreprises. Tel Napoléon qui n'hésita pas à ouvrir le feu sur une foule désarmée, Raskolnikov, qui admire le grand homme, se place au-dessus du commun des mortels. Les considérations théoriques qui le poussent à tuer une vieille usurière cohabitent en s'opposant dans l'esprit du héros et constituent l'essence même du roman. Pour Raskolnikov, le crime qu'il va commettre n'est que justice envers les hommes en général et les pauvres qui se sont fait abusés en particulier. « Nous acceptons d'être criminels pour que la terre se couvre enfin d'innocents », écrira Albert Camus. Mais cet idéal d'humanité s'accorde mal avec la conscience de supériorité qui anime le héros, en qualité de « surhomme », il se situe au-delà du bien et du mal. Fomenté avec un sang-froid mêlé de mysticisme, le meurtre tourne pourtant à l'échec. Le maigre butin ne peut satisfaire son idéal de justice, tandis que le crime loin de l'élever de la masse, l'abaisse parmi les hommes. Raskolnikov finira par se rendre et accepter la condamnation, par-là même, il accèdera à la purification. Crime et Châtiment est le roman de la déchéance humaine, l’œuvre essentielle du maître de la littérature russe. — Lenaïc Gravis et Jocelyn Blériot

Genres: Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels Comics, Graphic Novels

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2019

Reviews

[Ebba Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, what a difficult task to translate "Crime et Châtiment" into paint. And it is done very well in Part I with sepia colors and powerful images:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V5Yp...

On the cover I recognized "The Student" from Nikolai Yaroshenko:

https://www.wikiart.org/en/mykola-yar...

I want to walk about on the market place in the background and I like the scenery of Saint Petersburg on the cover art. I bought the book because of its cover vibe and atmosphere and sepia theme. And because "Crime et Châtiment" is one of my favorite novels.

Several graphic novels had been waiting on my shelf. This one was sitting there the longest. I literally started reading "Map to the Sun" when the postman had laid the book on my doorstep. (Very vibrant colors, dark but with hope and poetic.) Sloane Leong did illustrate a story written by her. Unknown to me. While "Crime and Punishment" is a story that I know well and love. Therefore I was more afraid that I would not like this graphic novel. But I did like it.

I like that the first 2 and last 2 pages are yellow. As if to compensate that this is a dark novel. There are plenty nods to or inspirations of other painters' art. I recognized the big nod to Johann Heinrich Füssli (1741 - 1825), Der Nachtmahr (The Nighmare), 1790/91, oil on canvas, right away. The names of the painters which Bastien Loukia was inspired of in his panels/scenes are listed on his Notes and References section.

There is also something to discover in the chapter titles.

Especially Rodion (Rodja) Raskolnikov and his sister do not look as in my own imagination. Of course not. Everyone has their own imagination. That's the beauty of novels and short stories that you are painting your own pictures in your mind.

Katerina Marmeladova and Lizaveta Iwanovna and Sonia Marmeladova I immediately "recognized". It is helpful that 12 characters are introduced with pictures and short descriptions beforehand. Especially to readers who have not read the novel.

I appreciate that Bastien Loukia travelled to Saint Petersburg, worked with models while drawing and read the novel. He did as much as possible to try to capture its essence. But the original is a novel of 700 pages with complex characters and complex thoughts. In his thank-you note the author thanks those who helped, encouraged him and comforted him. I want to thank him for this graphic novel also.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy graphic novels and good art and appreciate references to other painters and intend not to read the novel because of its length. On 157 pages you learn what this novel is about and the conflict that Raskolnikov is having.

I re-read the main scenes written by Dostoevsky after reading this graphic novel and it was like it had been tattooed on my brain when I was aged 15. I remember everything vividly! This speak volumes of how impressed I was by Dostoevsky's novel. It is so profound and deep.

This graphic novel version I would rate 3.5. (This is the first time that I am using decimal numbers for a rating. I am an all or nothing kind of woman.)

I hope that some of my friends (who also know the novel) will check out this graphic novel when it is available in their countries and share their thoughts.

Ebba

[Claudia Mika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Powerful illustrations. Since I am not familiar with the content of the original book (800 pages), I can't say how well it was adapted as a graphic novel, I got the feeling the story as well as the characters were drastically simplified...

[João Teixeira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confuso, como de resto a obra original também o é.

[John Blacksad · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Ne gerek vardı ki”gillerden. Ben bu uyarlama tuzağına düşmezdim ya, Epsilon’un Ot kredisinden gaza geldim. Elim de boştu sanırım. Aslında bir takım sanatsal şeyleri de var ya… uzatmayalım. Bence bütçenizi başka bir şeylere harcayın.

[Victor Barré · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonne adaptation du roman, les illustrations sont novatrices et sympa

[GaryTheThunder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leider ist die graphic novel für dieses reichhaltige und an Figuren (alle sehr ähnlich) wimmelnde Werk nicht das geeignete Format. Ich habe irgendwann die Übersicht verloren, was schade ist, denn das Werk ist mutmaßlich völlig zu Recht Weltliteratur.

[Olga Lalajelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une bande-dessinée bien faite

[Marja Lethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Mono · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nhé

[Bruno Nogueira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longe de conseguir abarcar o drama e tormento psicológico do original, com apenas 160 paginas e trabalho visual bem conseguido o autor faz o melhor trabalho possível