Raskolnikov

I recently finished Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. This book has definetally cemented Dostoevsky as my favorite author of all time. This is probably one of my favorite books along with Notes From Underground. The story of Crime and Punishment was fabulous. The thing I love most are the depth of the characters, my favorite being the protagonist Raskolnikov. He is so very multidimensional, while reading the book I wished to be friends with him. He was so very real. I loved how strange Raskolnikov and loved to read his thoughts. Dostoevsky's characters are endlessly fascinating. Raskolnikov is so logically irrational, or maybe he is so irrationally logical. Is he madly sane or insanely mad? Well, I think a little bit of each one, and that is why he is a wonderful character. I feel as though I could read the book a thousand times and discover new bits about it with each reading. This is what I plan to do. Well, I obviously loved this book and recommend it to everyone. Fantastic!

I also recently finished a book called 1700 about London city life during this time period, by Maureen Waller. For some reason, I felt like reading European history. The book has chapters on all aspects of life from London in 1700, including Death, Disease, Marriage, Childbirth, Prostitution and Vice, Coffeehouses and Taverns, Working, and Crime and Punishment. My favorite sections were probably the ones on Crime and Punishment which go into detail about being sent to the gallows, and Disease which was interesting as many of the diseases from London in 1700 exist here in Kathmandu at the present.

I am currently reading a volume of Roald Dahl's short stories. I think most of us know Dahl for his children's books but his short stories are wonderfully dark and twisted. I find myself continuously laughing at the black humor and satirical stories. They are great! My favorite so far are the stories called "William and Mary" and "Royal Jelly."