Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

8 reviews

quotablehedgehog's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Antisemitism, Medical content, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Classism, and Deportation

gwenswoons's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is just so completely magnificent - funny, wild, unusual at every turn and in every detail. I made it through my college Russian major, somehow, without reading any Dostoevsky, and this was such a joy this winter. It took up 4 months(!!) of my life, and made me laugh out loud more than almost any book I can remember. So complex, strange, and peculiarly Russian in the best way. The translation (by Pevear and Volokhonsky) is so wonderfully idiomatic and Russian-feeling in cadence, diction, atmosphere, structure. I just loved loved loved.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

verpissdich's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Translator's prose neither too dense not too colloquial.

The Grand Inquisitor section (Ivan's Peom) is very thought provoking.

Alyosha's character development after the death of father Zossima, or perhaps significant lack thereof, also thought provoking.

I found the recounting of Father Zossima's life through the narrator and Alyosha's recollection highly tedious, but nonetheless illuminating, especially in its parallels to Dmitri's transformation after his arrest. I also found it slightly difficult to get through Dmitri's interrogation while at the inn, and his presumed guilt is infuriating to read through although this is clearly intentional.

In general, an enjoyable examination of human nature.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

startjpw23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book is about the three Karamazov brothers, their father, and people they interact with. One of the other characters might be a fourth brother. That is never definitively revealed. The book is set around the year 1860 in Russia. There are a couple of women who the two oldest brothers have, or desire to have, romantic relationships with. Their father also desires a romantic relationship with one of the women. Jealously between the father, and Dimitri, the oldest brother about the woman, is a big driver of the story. Another driver of the story is political, religious, and social changes taking place in Russia at that time. Around halfway through the book, there is a leadup to a crime. At this point, and the aftermath of the crime, I found the book a page turner. Toward the end, the story dragged. The book is a very long book. The version I read was 845 pages long. And the pages were very densely packed with words. With the exception of the youngest brother, Alyosha, I didn't find any of the main characters particularly likable. Because of this, I really didn't care that much about what happened to them. The book was beautifully written and translated. A lot of words were used for not all that much happening. I did enjoy book. I am glad I read it. Reading it didn't make me want to read any other classic Russian books any time soon. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Sexism, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

imrath's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal death, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

abbyreadsbigbooks123's review against another edition

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

emilyplun's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Religious bigotry

akka2001's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, and Terminal illness

Minor: Abandonment