Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, first published in 1866. It is considered one of the greatest works of world literature and is often cited as the first great novel of Dostoevskys mature period of writing. The novel follows the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in Saint Petersburg who plans to kill an elderly pawnbroker to prove his theory that he is an extraordinary person able to take on the spiritual responsibility of using evil means to achieve humanitarian ends. After committing the murder, Raskolnikov is consumed by guilt and paranoia, and the novel explores his psychological struggles and the consequences of his actions.

Crime and Punishment is written from a third-person omniscient perspective, primarily from the point of view of Raskolnikov, but also switching to the perspective of other characters such as Svidrigaïlov, Razumikhin, Luzhin, Sonya, or Dunya. The narrative technique, which fuses the narrator very closely with the consciousness and point of view of the central characters, was original for its period.

The novel explores themes of guilt, redemption, and personal responsibility. It suggests that redemption is possible only through confession of guilt and an acceptance of personal responsibility for ones thoughts and actions. Crime and Punishment is a multi-layered work that offers a huge amount of insight on a number of subjects, making it a popular choice for literary analysis and discussion.