Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

11 reviews

cheuksin's review against another edition

challenging slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse

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

seforaflorian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

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

mangopassion555's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, and Abandonment

ayphyx's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Cursing

seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad medium-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: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse and Gun violence

Minor: War

cowardlyteaman's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

This was definitely worth the while, even if it took me a long while.

It's very slow paced, and sometimes you might think to yourself «Okay, but how does this affect the plot.» Fair point, definitely, but to me personally, such scenes meant everything in the parallel situations of these characters and for Dostoyevsky to explore some of his philosophy, which I think he has the right to with such reflections. Also, as my dad so rightfully reminded me, this book was written in a period where people had the time to read. Not meaning that they weren't as busy as we are now, but simply that their attention spans had not been abused such as ours have due to various categories of modern entertainment.
There is no shame in this, but it's important to note that if you're wanting to read this. I, too, found it boring at times, because no, I genuinely could not care less about Father Zosima.

And on the note of characters I couldn't care less about, we have Alyosha. Yes, I see Dostoyevsky praising and loving him, but I found him pretty whiny, actually. He was about as relevant as an emotional support animal, to be quite honest. That is until the epilogue, where I appreciated his part of the whole journey.

My favourite character was Mitya, though Ivan stands as a close second, and I'm not ashamed to admit that it is because I found them sexy. Not only because I found them sexy, but it was undeniably a factor in there somewhere, and I am young and gay, so who can blame me. Still, they were both fantastically written characters, both with depth and interesting plot lines.

Yes, my review has been mostly about the characters and what I thought of them, but they are the plot after all. However, I want to add finally that I noticed how the synopsis of the book leads with the murder of Fyodor Pavlovich, when that doesn't «come up» until a good... 500 pages in? A bit odd, but I suppose that was what brought the entire piece to a conclusion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Antisemitism

gracchian's review against another edition

dark inspiring tense slow-paced

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

5.0

The Brothers Karamazov is the classic; it needs no explanation. Within it, Dostoevsky applies the full might of his messianic, Christian, psychological brilliance at the peak of his ability. This is the book that prompted legions of readers to approach him in life and exclaim how deeply his work moved them, how much the one book changed them. Eastern and Catholic priests alike will often find this book creeping upon their shelves, though even atheists tend to celebrate the achievements contained within all the same. It has been said that this book contains the strongest arguments both on behalf and against Christianity. I would add that it contains the strongest arguments against and for virtue as an end pursuit in itself, embodied by the empowering, inspiring 'milksop' Alyosha Karamazov.

You will become well-acquainted with the cast of characters imagined by Dostoevsky. You will hate almost all of them, but this hate will be followed by pity, and, in the end, you will rest somewhere in the nest Dostoevsky has built for you—a space above the dizzying drama of the tragedy, wherein you hold no grudges, pity all, and wish only to see that love expressed by all. You will be betrayed and wronged by the characters in this book, and you will forgive them even as they betray you. You will learn what it is that Dostoevsky is trying to portray in Alyosha, or in the monastic Zossima, and you'll be offered a seat at their divinely virtuous table. The book truly brings you into it, and becomes a lived transformation for the reader who attentively follows it—and, it must be said, it is very difficult indeed to not attentively follow Karamazov when it gets going.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Grief

Minor: Child death

There is not an ounce of violence glorified in this book. Though there are infinitely heavy subjects brought to the reader's attention, Dostoevsky's message is clear: the one salvation is to love one another, to forgive one another even when one has been wronged, and to aspire to some higher purpose beyond oneself.

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