Crime and Punishment is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky.Crime and Punishment is considered the first great novel of his "mature" period of writing.Since its publication, it has been acclaimed as one of the supreme achievements in world literature. A sensation in its day, Crime and Punishment has left an indelible stamp on the world of literature. An impoverished ex-student, "Rodion Raskolnikov", who formulates a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker for her money. Before the killing, Raskolnikov believes that with the money he could liberate himself from poverty and go on to perform great deeds. However, once it is done he finds himself racked with confusion, paranoia, and disgust for what he has done. His justifications disintegrate completely as he struggles with guilt and horror and confronts the real-world consequences of his deed.