'Crime and Punishment' Tops Dostoevsky Works Borrowed at Public Libraries

2nd Place is 'Karamazovga-ui Hyeongjedeul'

Over the past three years, the most borrowed Dostoevsky work in public libraries nationwide was found to be Crime and Punishment. The National Library of Korea released the results on the 7th after analyzing data from 1,320 public libraries from November 2018 to last October in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Dostoevsky's birth. According to the data, Crime and Punishment was borrowed the most with 43,294 loans. The Brothers Karamazov ranked second with 39,953 loans. Notes from Underground (5,282 loans), The Devils (3,349 loans), The Idiot (1,942 loans), Poor Folk (1,879 loans), and White Nights (1,342 loans) followed in order. More women than men borrowed Dostoevsky's works. By age group, those in their 40s accounted for the largest share at 27.4%. Borrowing volume mainly increased during vacation periods. A library official explained, "This shows a facet of classic literature loved by Koreans being considered a steady seller." They added, "The borrowing figures for Dostoevsky's works (101,626 loans) are similar to those for Tolstoy's works (101,969 loans), suggesting that the deep anguish and reflection on human nature continue to make them beloved."

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