Raphael Roache’s Reviews > Crime and Punishment > Status Update

Luzhin is so perfectly hateable. His self-absorption and egotism is so immediately apparent in his dialogue despite initally seeming "normal", and it's disgusting to see the way it extends to his perspective on women and his anti-social and immoral behaviour. It's a testament to the writing that he's more offensive than Svigrigailov, who's a much worse person.

Svidrigailov is a great addition to the story at this point, as is his purpose as an extreme version of what Raskolnikov's morality could lead him to become. The scene where Raskolnikov's paper is revealed is really great too, but the last scene with Petrovich that was just him monologuing got boring until Nikolai is brought in.

While I do think that the POV of Raskolnikov's mental anguish immediately after his murders is interesting, so far the story is better when his thoughts are affected by interacting with the other characters.

Raskolnikov doesn't deserve a friend as good as Razumikhin. Also everytime Razumikhin says "brother" I read it with the voice of Mimir from God of War 4

I was a bit disinterested in many of the chapters so far, but the chapter when the murder happens (and the one before it) is riveting.

i hope this book isn't just people monologuing for pages on end. also i think my copy might have gotten mouldy ffs i need a dehumidifer