Description: A chapter-by-chapter guide to Dostoevsky's most popular novel that reveals how Crime and Punishment works. Narrative strategy, why the novel is not a whodunit but whydunit, and clear explanations of the novel's ideological debates.
Brief description: Deborah A. Martinsen was Associate Dean of Alumni Education and Adjunct Professor of Russian and Comparative Literature, Columbia University. Past president of the International Dostoevsky Society and former executive secretary of the North American Dostoevsky Society, Martinsen is the author of "Surprised by Shame: Dostoevsky's Liars and Narrative Exposure" (Ohio, 2003) and co-editor of "Dostoevsky in Context" (Oxford, 2015).
Review Quotes: "A posthumous release by one of this generation's foremost experts on Fedor Dostoevskii, Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment' A Reader's Guide by Deborah Martinsen is every bit as erudite as its author...Surprisingly, before this volume, there had been no comprehensive reader's guide to Crime and Punishment, save for readings and analyses that appear as parts of larger works. An exquisite resource and teaching aid, every page of this guide is packed with detailed analysis, citing major research to date. It is written for general readers but also provides tips and suggestions for teaching the novel. The information presented is for the most part known to researchers, yet even the most seasoned reader of Dostoevskii will find the guide useful, whether as a refresher course or convenient reference tool."
-- Lonny Harrison, Slavic Review