Under Western Eyes

This fascinating novel takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Geneva, Switzerland, and is viewed as Conrad's response to the themes explored in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. It depicts the political turmoil of 19th century Russia and follows the dramatic developments in the life of a student, Razumov, as he prepares for a career in the czarist bureaucratic system. This one unwittingly becomes embroiled in a revolutionary conspiracy when he gives refuge to a fellow student who assassinated a public official. Increasingly entangled in the radical's political intrigue, he chooses to betray the anarchist who had placed blind faith in him...