title: The Sinner and the Saint by: Birmingham, Kevin published: 2021-11-16 read: 2022-10 preview

Where did Dostoyevski get his idea from, to write a story about a murder which, in a certain way, was a good murder? “The Sinner and the Saint” delves into the dramatic circumstances leading to that. It portrays Dostoyevsky’s desperate situation in 1865, his gambling losses, and the epiphany for the novel featuring Raskolnikov.

The book compares Dostoyevsky’s life with that of Pierre François Lacenaire, a notorious murderer whose trial apparently influenced Dostoyevski’s novel. It explores themes of guilt, nihilism, and the societal influences of 19th-century Europe, offering a rich narrative on the creation and impact of “Crime and Punishment”. Lacenaire, by the way, died by guillotine at 32, in 1836; 30 years before “Crime and Punishment”.

The book explains Russia of the time; it explains the hardships that Dostoyevsky had to suffer.  His time in Siberia (yes, he was involved in some underground activities, basically disagreeing what the Tsar regime did, and free speech was strongly suppressed). Gruesome fact: the trip to Siberia was normally done on foot.  Took a year or two.  For those who arrived, the sentence started after arrival. 

Anyway, Dostoyevsky ended up there, and got to know some criminals. This raised his interest in how murderers think. Hence a spark for his most famous novel. He suffered from epilepsy, an ill-fated marriage, gambling, and a debt he could never repay. And yet, his research allowed him to reappraise life, despite its hardships.

Worth a read, if you like Dostoyevski’s work.