This classic novel is considered the first great work of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "mature period." Raskolnikov, the book's main character, is a former student living in poverty in St. Petersburg. Needing money, he formulates a plan to kill and steal from a dishonest pawnbroker, rationalizing his actions with the belief that he can use the money for good deeds and thus balance the sin of the murder. After completing his plan Raskolnikov is wracked by guilt and illness. Though unsuspected at first by the police, his mental anguish—which he tries to hide from his family and friends—eventually leads to punishment for his crime.