i have read that book almost twice and love it. the first time i was 25 and read 3/4 of the book, but moved around a lot and managed to lose it. i picked it up again about 10 years later and started from the beginning. you will get used to the writing style and it will become less of a slog. there is one scene that made me cry. i still think about it from time to time when i want to relive the heartbreak, haha. i hope you end up liking it and continue down the dostoyevsky path. it’s not a primrose path, but dark and full of humanity.