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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Classism
adventurous
dark
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This work is similar status to the Bible, as it leaves behind pearls of wisdom and nuggets of knowledge in its wake. This is my first read through, but a work like this commands multiple reads. I’m convinced one could spend his life analyzing this book, rereading it every year, and still find new things. Looking back, I see why this is such a heavily read work. Although the storyline is quite long and a bit difficult to parse at times, I enjoyed the development of the Brothers over the course of the novel. I won’t give too much away, but lots of loss, war, and grief accompany these three Brothers. For me, I found the contrast fascinating of how each brother dealt with the circumstances presented to them, and how each of their personalities intermingled with one another. The best thing about this is what all great Literature grants, the opportunity for anyone at any level to read and gleam something, whether it be events in the storyline, the general historical narrative, the humor or growth of the characters, or the intellectual gems of knowledge and wisdom Dostoevsky sets forth, this novel truly has something for everyone. I highly recommend the read of one of these timeless classics.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Got about halfway through but jesus this kind of classical literature is impenetrable. Not because it's hard to read or it's too dense with ideas, but because it's so scatterbrained and nonsensical. Women collapse into hysterics and become bedridden because their minds are apparently too brittle to comprehend being intellectually or emotionally challenged, men cry about everything - literally, the verb "cry" is used so often when someone speaks ("he cried," "she cried,") that all I can imagine is everyone screaming at each other during every dialogue exchange - and then collapsing into hysterics. It's so ingratiating and annoying.
The synopsis on the back of the Barnes & Noble Classics Edition of this book that I have says that there are two chapters within that contain "the most damning arguments against the idea of God" ever written - and maybe that's true in 1860 or whenever this was written - but having reached only the first of those two, Dostoevsky uses PAGES upon PAGES to make the argument in such a roundabout, dull, and maddeningly reiterative way that I was struggling to stay awake while I read it. And that it can be summarized in as simple a manner as "why does God let kids get murdered?" is even more frustrating. Dostoevsky does go to lengths to explain himself both in the introduction and in random asides throughout, even admitting some readers will find the book difficult to get through because his characters "may not be interesting enough." But I don't mind dull characters or plot if anything of interest is happening AT ALL, but there is little to nothing interesting about this story. I don't even disagree with its philosophy, it's just an absolute chore to sit through.
The synopsis on the back of the Barnes & Noble Classics Edition of this book that I have says that there are two chapters within that contain "the most damning arguments against the idea of God" ever written - and maybe that's true in 1860 or whenever this was written - but having reached only the first of those two, Dostoevsky uses PAGES upon PAGES to make the argument in such a roundabout, dull, and maddeningly reiterative way that I was struggling to stay awake while I read it. And that it can be summarized in as simple a manner as "why does God let kids get murdered?" is even more frustrating. Dostoevsky does go to lengths to explain himself both in the introduction and in random asides throughout, even admitting some readers will find the book difficult to get through because his characters "may not be interesting enough." But I don't mind dull characters or plot if anything of interest is happening AT ALL, but there is little to nothing interesting about this story. I don't even disagree with its philosophy, it's just an absolute chore to sit through.
What do I think? I READ DOSTOEVSKY!!! That's what I think! It's a classic - ya gotta read it.
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Long. I feel like a historical analysis and commentary alongside this would have made it significantly more interesting