Crime and Punishment

Have you read Tolstoy's Crime and Punishment?  I read about a quarter of it on my Kindle (thank you, mystery family and friends!), but I don't expect to finish it.  I take no pleasure in it. (The Kindle, yes, the novel, no) I have read my small share of classical literature and my share of slow to get into books, but I don't care to read this.  If you have read it and found benefit therein, please share – but not in a superior and judgmental manner, if you don't mind.

Now about another crime and punishment.  I committed the crime. 

It was during an evening of Reading Club -  The Ranger's Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-ja.  I was tired and nature was calling.  Partly because of the large glass of chocolate milk which I held, not quite empty, in my hand.  As I rose to hand off the book and leave briefly to utilize some of my favorite wonders of modern life, something went wrong.  I am not sure how I managed it, but I got chocolate splattered all over the front room floor and some on the book.  Anna, devoted canine companion, volunteered to start cleaning the floor.  Joseph and Andrew, dear diligent sons, did their best to clean up the book.  I answered the aforementioned call.

After the young men's ministrations, the book looked to my eye much as it did when Joseph brought it home from the library.  It looked like a lot of young people had read it and not always in pristine conditions. Nonetheless, Joseph took the book to the library, showed it to the librarian, and was charged to replace the book.  He had expected to pay a small damage fine.  Ridiculous.  We had little affected its appearance and not at all affected its readability.  He paid. He did get to keep the book.

When back home he made to fasten his receipt to the book and saw that the receipt said “lost book” which was not true.  What is it with false documents, anyway??!

Joseph looked on Amazon and found that he paid more for the used book than it costs new!

Joseph returned to the library and discussed the situation with the librarian.  I think he wanted to know if they would refund his payment if he gave them a new book.  Nope.

I do not think the punishment fit the crime.  (I did pay him most of the fine he paid as it was my crime, but I admit, I would have just turned the book in as it was without saying anything. 

At least we enjoyed the book.  But it is book 10 of a series.  I don't like having one book of a series.  I enjoyed the books, but had not considered owning the series.  ($$!)

A) Keep the book?  B) donate it to DI?  C) try to sell it on eBay?  D) complete the set?