"Why am I to be pitied, you say? Yes! There's nothing to pity me for! I ought to be crucified, crucified on a cross, not pitied! Crucify me, oh judge, crucify me but pity me?"

Fyodor Dostoevsky was an interesting man who wrote fascinating books: anyone familiar with Rodian Raskolnikov, Alyosha Karamazov or Nikolai Stavrogin will also know that the writer had a great deal to say about politics, religion and, above all, human psychology. Reading Dostoevsky is not easy, but in my opinion it is something that everyone should do. The events might be taking place in a time and a place alien to us, but many of the major themes are still important today.

A specialist on the workings of the human mind, Dostoevsky also had something wise to say about happiness:

"Happiness does not lie in happiness, but in the achievement of it."

"Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it."

"Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid."

"The greatest happiness is to know the source of unhappiness. "

Yes, if you look closely, you will see that there are no less than FOUR versions of Crime and Punishment on that shelf.