The Originals: The Brothers Karamazov by Constance Garnett, Fyodor Dostoevsky

4.31 AVERAGE

perlam's review against another edition

5.0
emotional reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
One of the best novels I’ve ever read. Truly a masterpiece

jt_tetreault's review against another edition

2.0
reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
Too heavy on theology and the  same storyline could have been achieved in 400 pages.

askmashka's review against another edition

4.0
dark reflective tense medium-paced

kadyk59's review against another edition

5.0
challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

sensacal's review against another edition

5.0
challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
adcurtiss's profile picture

adcurtiss's review against another edition

"Karamazov," cried Kolya, "can it be true what's taught us in religion, that we shall all rise again from the dead and shall live and see each other again, all, Ilusha too?"
"Certainly we shall all rise again, certainly we shall see each other and shall tell each other with joy and gladness all that has happened!" Alyosha answered, half laughing, half enthusiastic.
"Ah, how splendid it will be!" broke from Kolya.
intelligentenigma's profile picture

intelligentenigma's review against another edition

4.0
mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

popem's review against another edition

5.0
challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-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

kraelwake's review against another edition

2.0
While The Brothers Karamazov has some brilliant philosophical moments, and even some heart-rending moments that brought me to tears, I could have done without the entire first half of the book, and many chapters throughout its entirety. I know many would disagree with me, but I'm sorry to say that this is without doubt the most tedious book I have ever read. The last half of the book reads more similarly to Dostoyevsky's The Idiot, more fast-paced and with frequent emotional outbursts by the characters. It seems in every chapter, a character is in danger of "brain fever" and in a delirium. From a long epistle from a monk, to constant inner struggles of conscience, to a conversation with the devil, much of The Brothers Karamazov is devoted to questions of morality. For me, the most fascinating character in the novel was Ivan Karamazov, whose conversation with the devil shakes his sturdy atheism and his maxim "everything is lawful". Much of this scene reminded me of C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters, and I imagine Lewis must have thought of this scene when he was writing his book. Having said all of this, The Brothers Karamazov has its merits, but be prepared for a lot of religious exhortation in the first half of the book, much of which echoes large portions of New Testament scriptures and which I confess made me think that I would prefer to actually read The Bible than to read a fictional character's long-winded semi-plagiaristic and oddly distorted version of it. Be prepared also for many seemingly unnecessary and irrelevant or pointless scenes. I realize Dostoyevsky's book is loved by many, but personally for me there is just too much tedious, droning preaching and extraneous information and scenes to make the end payoff worth the effort.
wrxtacy's profile picture

wrxtacy's review against another edition

4.5
challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
CAWPILE Scoring: 
C(8) A(8) W(8) P(9) I(7) L(8) E(9)
CAWPILE Score: 8.14 (Very Good)