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The Brothers Karamazov

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'The Brothers Karamazov' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is a classic Russian tale that delves into the lives of Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov and his sons Ivan, Dmitri, and Alexei. The novel is known for its acute examination of the psychology of its main characters, as well as its exploration of Russian identity, family dynamics, and ethical debates. The book weaves together a murder mystery, a psychological thriller, a religious treatise, and a social commentary, all while portraying a dysfunctional family and the struggles of humanity.

The writing style of 'The Brothers Karamazov' is described as deep, complex, philosophical, humane, and powerful. The book is praised for its sprawling narrative, great characters, and thought-provoking themes that encompass religion, morality, good vs. evil, and the essence of human nature. Despite its length and occasional tangents, readers appreciate the brilliance and relevance of the novel, which continues to challenge and inspire readers with its depth and complexity.

Characters:

The characters are richly developed and represent different aspects of humanity, each grappling with personal and moral struggles that reflect societal issues.

Writing/Prose:

Dostoevsky's writing style is intricate and philosophical, featuring deep, often lengthy dialogues that explore complex themes and emotions.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative follows the Karamazov family, particularly the brothers, as they confront moral and philosophical dilemmas, culminating in a murder that exposes deep familial and societal issues.

Setting:

The setting reflects the tensions in Russian society during the 19th century, particularly the moral and existential conflicts arising from modernization.

Pacing:

The pacing begins slowly with philosophical discussions but accelerates during the murder plot and trial, maintaining engagement despite some drawn-out sections.
Alexey Fyodorovitch Karamazov was the third son of Fyodor PavlovitchKaramazov, a land owner well known in our district in his own day, andstill remembered among us owing to his gloomy and tragic death...

Notes:

Dostoyevsky experienced a deep personal loss before writing the book, having lost his own infant son.
The novel features a profound debate between faith and doubt, often reflecting Dostoyevsky's own struggles with religion.
Dostoyevsky is known for his ability to create multidimensional characters representing various aspects of human nature.
The Grand Inquisitor chapter is one of the most famous sections, presenting a powerful critique of organized religion.
The book includes themes of love, jealousy, and morality, intertwined with complex family dynamics.
It explores the idea that all humans share a collective guilt for each other’s sins, as expressed by Father Zosima.
The novel is structured as a murder mystery, with the father Fyodor Karamazov being the victim, setting off a chain of moral dilemmas.
It includes interludes such as the story of a dying boy, illustrating themes of innocence and loss.
Dostoyevsky wrote the novel during a tumultuous period in Russia's history, reflecting societal changes and philosophical shifts.
The characters' discussions and debates often serve to explore Dostoyevsky's own existential questions and philosophies.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of violence, murder, familial strife, and existential crises, which may be distressing to some readers.

Has Romance?

There are romantic elements present in the relationships among the brothers and other characters, adding to the emotional depth.

From The Publisher:

The Brothers Karamazov is a passionate philosophical novel that enters deeply into the ethical debates of God, free will, and morality. It is a spiritual drama of moral struggles concerning faith, doubt, and reason, set against a modernizing Russia. Dostoyevsky composed much of the novel in Staraya Russa, which is also the main setting of the novel.

Ratings (118)

Incredible (45)
Loved It (36)
Liked It (20)
It Was OK (6)
Did Not Like (9)
Hated It (2)

Reader Stats (357):

Read It (120)
Currently Reading (6)
Want To Read (186)
Did Not Finish (11)
Not Interested (34)

3 comment(s)

I decided to DNF this at 28 %. I have no motivation to pick it up and by the 7 day mark I only gotten to 28% which is a rarity for me even though its a big book. Don't have any strong idea what I think about it though. I just feel so unmotivated to read it. Will pick it up in a later date.

 
Did Not Like
3 months

It tests your patience....

Story with lot of drama, over reacting people and unnecessary chat. If u have patience and like long descriptions read it else leave it :)

 
Did Not Like
3 months

This novel is full of:

- Repetition. For some reason everyone in that village thinks that others are deaf. And they should repeat any important sentences twice. It would be cool if only one character did it, but it seems it does not matter how well or bad educated you are. Repeating sentences is cool.

- Sick people. Main reason of sickness is being worried. No less than three characters would get fever and bed rest for weeks after worrying too much. There are also other source of sickness to the point of wondering if the water around there is drinkable at all.

- Unrealistic dialogues. Monologue is the main way of conversing, it seems. Always about God, ethics or any other abstract topic, of course.

- More repetition. I hope not to reveal much saying there will be a trial in the novel. Witnesses will repeat everything which had happened in the novel till that point. Then the public prosecutor will summarize it again and then the defense lawyer will repeat it for the fourth time. Each with a slight different angle and explaining about the Russian soul. This part is so dry that even people giving 5 stars to the novel complains about it.

- Exaggeration. This is the pattern used by half of the characters around 40 or 50 times in the novel:

I will

unless

. Serious guys, you are way too dramatic.

- Lack of speech. Often, way too often something happens and some character is speechless. Which is cool because some other will start its 10pages monologue so someone has to give room.

- Lack of resolution. Sure Dostoyevsky wanted to make a second and third part of this, but could have rounded up this one a little bit more. Like, what happened with Liza, she disappears 300pages before the end and there is no hint of what's going on with that.

I could continue. I've seen the rest of the reviews. Lots of 5 stars. I've read them, I can't buy the arguments.

For instance: "It has friendship, family, doubt, self-sacrifice. Everything what's being human"

Sure, but so does other many many books. Damn, Hyperion, a sci-fy book, read it, the consul story only got all that. And that's one of 7 pilgrims.

Other argument "Very realistic" . Come on, the conversations there were ridiculous as well as most of the characters. They are extreme characters to represent ideas "the passion" "the rationale" "the faith" etc. It was everything but realistic.

I've also seen reviews of people saying things like "slow, boring, took me forever" and give it 5 stars...

If anything I can buy it made you think. Nice. I like that, extra star for it.

But Dostoyevsky totally blew up this one. He needed more sun there and going out for a walk instead of so many hours writing, would he have finish this book at a 200 pages mark, it would have been good. Delete monologues and repetitions, that's 400pages off at least.

 

About the Author:

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881), one of nineteenth-century Russia's greatest novelists, spent four years in a convict prison in Siberia, after which he was obliged to enlist in the army. In later years his penchant for gambling sent him deeply into debt. Most…

 
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