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A review by zlaza
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
5.0
'The Karamazov Brothers' is not the easiest novel to summarize, I don't think I can give it the justice it deserves, but I'll try my best.
'The Karamazov Brothers' was published as a serial in 1879/1880. Dostoevsky started writing it after he was released from prison, and he spent nearly two years writing it. He died less than four months after its publication.
At the most basic level 'The Karamazov Brothers' is exactly what you'd expect from the title: a story about three brothers from the Karamazov family, the sons of a nasty old man.
Dmitri - the reckless one, who seems to be an expert at digging his own grave,
Ivan - the arogant and overthinking intellectual, and
Alyosha - the timid and devoutly religious one.
The brothers reunite at their father's house because of a conflict in the family - the father and the eldest brother want to marry the same woman.
None of the three brothers were raised by their father, Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov, who is easily one of the worst fathers in fiction.
The story explores how an uncaring upbringing shapes the three brothers in different ways.
I understand why 'The Karamazov Brothers' is so highly regarded, it's a deeply philosophical work that discusses the existence of God, free will and morality. Dostoevsky exposes the human soul in all its complexity.
As a book it has everything you want in it:
fantastic and memorable characters, drama, politics, murder and humour.
It's a fantastic exploration of the human psyche.
For a 19th century novel, it's infinitely readable, gripping and relevant to this day. Every time I read it, I discover new truths about life.
'The Karamazov Brothers' was published as a serial in 1879/1880. Dostoevsky started writing it after he was released from prison, and he spent nearly two years writing it. He died less than four months after its publication.
At the most basic level 'The Karamazov Brothers' is exactly what you'd expect from the title: a story about three brothers from the Karamazov family, the sons of a nasty old man.
Dmitri - the reckless one, who seems to be an expert at digging his own grave,
Ivan - the arogant and overthinking intellectual, and
Alyosha - the timid and devoutly religious one.
The brothers reunite at their father's house because of a conflict in the family - the father and the eldest brother want to marry the same woman.
None of the three brothers were raised by their father, Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov, who is easily one of the worst fathers in fiction.
The story explores how an uncaring upbringing shapes the three brothers in different ways.
I understand why 'The Karamazov Brothers' is so highly regarded, it's a deeply philosophical work that discusses the existence of God, free will and morality. Dostoevsky exposes the human soul in all its complexity.
As a book it has everything you want in it:
fantastic and memorable characters, drama, politics, murder and humour.
It's a fantastic exploration of the human psyche.
For a 19th century novel, it's infinitely readable, gripping and relevant to this day. Every time I read it, I discover new truths about life.