This classic Russian novel was first published in serial form and later published as a novel. The murder of a pawnbroker and her sister becomes the main plot of the novel. A poor student from Saint Petersburg is the killer. The story tells of the mental and physical effects that follow. A simple murder plot would not make this novel a classic, but when your add a list of complex characters and commentaries on family, alcoholism, revolutionary activity, atheism, and socialism the value of this work is established.