"Crime and Punishment" is one of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's most famous novels. First published in 1866, it is the story of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, an impoverished St. Petersburg ex-student who plots to kill an elderly money-lender, Alëna, and profit from her wealth. The murder however does not go as planned and Raskolnikov must suffer the disastrous moral and psychic consequences of his actions. As is common with Dostoyevsky's work, the author brilliantly explores the psychology of his characters, specifically Raskolnikov and what drives him to kill. "Crime and Punishment" is a literary masterpiece and quite simply one of the greatest novels ever written.