Ninett

DNF'd a long time ago. I tried to read it as an 18 year old. It was the summer holidays, I read this while baking in the sun between nights spent going out with friends. I was off to uni in September and this book just fell out of my life. It's ten years later and I still haven't come round to finishing it (or university). Also, I was reading a Hungarian translation - not usually an issue, but I was never a fan of Russian literature Hungarian translations.

Update for new attempt: I picked this out as my commute read a few moons ago in an effort to finish at least one Russian classic. It surprised me. Life has evidently given me a lot to ruminate over since I was 18. I found myself reflected in Raskolnikov's character. This time I saw depth and complexity where before I fell asleep in boredom. Maybe some books just require maturity. 

The unnamed main character is prone to lengthy reveries that are invariably misguided and clich??d. The book is slow. The women all defer to the men in their lives. A man gets away with murdering his wife. An overwhelming majority of the characters are loathsome. But it's not simple. The book is complex, the reader feels the plot shrouded in fog until the very end, never knowing for certain what's coming next. I loved it. 

PS. I'd never call this a romance.