Set in Russia in the midst of its troubled transition to the modern age, "Crime and Punishment" is the profound human drama of Raskolnikov, a sensitive intellectual driven by poverty and the belief of his exemption from moral law. Through his unforgettable gallery of characters, Fyodor Dostoyevsky provides a provocative look at the human motivations of obsession and possession with unflinching philosophical and moral insight. A masterpiece of dramatic literature by one of the greatest novelists of all time.