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woweewhoa's review against another edition
challenging
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Alcoholism, Ableism, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Murder
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Death, Classism, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Violence, and Xenophobia
janainthebooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
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
4.0
it is evident that Dostoevsky built in several stories, that are not integral to the plot nor the message of the book, making it at times appear to be loosing the central thread. Nonetheless, the philosophical ideas embodied in the main characters and the complexities of even the side characters make for a deeply psychological, sociological and thought-provoking story. Truly a masterpiece!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, and Child death
Moderate: Blood and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Pregnancy, Violence, Murder, Death of parent, Antisemitism, Abandonment, and Child abuse
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Grief, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death, Classism, Murder, Alcohol, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Gun violence and Child abuse
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Bullying, Suicide, Child death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Racism, Addiction, Antisemitism, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and Racial slurs
suneaters's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
4.5
A pivotal case study in family dynamics and the manifestations of parental failures upon children in adulthood, all culminating in the bitter but ultimately satisfying truth of who killed the Karamazov patriarch. Daddy Issues™️. Alyosha best boy confirmed.
In all seriousness, it’s a powerful exploration of family trauma, greed, guilt, and faith with a satirical overtone—don’t let anyone say Dostoevsky was gloomy! He posits important questions to the reader.
Can your daddy issues make your a murderer? Is that really the devil? Can you try to make your family come together beforeyour bastard half-brother kills your father because he mistakenly thought your other brother wanted him to and your other other brother is set up as the fall guy?
I liked how it ends without resolving everything.We don't know if they're going to help Mitya escape and we don't know if Ivan will end up with Katerina after all or if Grushenka will decide she loves Mitya after all. We end with the funeral of a young boy called Ilyusha who fell ill at some point after seeing Dmitri beat up his military captain father instead of with some grand conclusion on the story of Ivan, Aleksy, Dmitri, and Smerdyakov. We don't know if Marfa and Grigory have been spoken to by Ivan or Alyosha after Smerdyakov confessed to Ivan.
The religious overtones are also very interesting. Alyosha is considered this pure being, so much so that Rakitin spends basically the entire novel trying to shake his faith whether by poking fun at elder Zosima's decaying corpse or trying to introduce him to Grushenka. Alyosha is clearly the author's thought of what people should be like with his innate goodness and love of mankind. He resolves any doubts he has with his simple faith and his belief in the goodness of mankind. He does good and tries to help bring his family together after. He isn't naive or innocent and while his brother sees suffering as a reason for atheism or a cruel God, Alyosha sees it as a resolve to try to put goodness out into the world.
Ivan is religiously and spiritually conflicted. He oscillates between a belief in a Machiavellian being and atheism. This turmoil from his own cold sophistication and eventual overthinking skepticism eventually leads tohis vivid hallucination of the Devil and his spiral into madness.
Mitya tries desperately to overcome his own jealous and angry nature to become a better man.His and Ivan's optimistic endings can be seen as authorial optimism for the outlook of mankind overall.
In all seriousness, it’s a powerful exploration of family trauma, greed, guilt, and faith with a satirical overtone—don’t let anyone say Dostoevsky was gloomy! He posits important questions to the reader.
Can your daddy issues make your a murderer? Is that really the devil? Can you try to make your family come together before
I liked how it ends without resolving everything.
The religious overtones are also very interesting. Alyosha is considered this pure being, so much so that Rakitin spends basically the entire novel trying to shake his faith whether by poking fun at elder Zosima's decaying corpse or trying to introduce him to Grushenka. Alyosha is clearly the author's thought of what people should be like with his innate goodness and love of mankind. He resolves any doubts he has with his simple faith and his belief in the goodness of mankind. He does good and tries to help bring his family together after. He isn't naive or innocent and while his brother sees suffering as a reason for atheism or a cruel God, Alyosha sees it as a resolve to try to put goodness out into the world.
Ivan is religiously and spiritually conflicted. He oscillates between a belief in a Machiavellian being and atheism. This turmoil from his own cold sophistication and eventual overthinking skepticism eventually leads to
Mitya tries desperately to overcome his own jealous and angry nature to become a better man.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
Minor: Alcoholism, Antisemitism, and Ableism
_quinnsreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, and Alcoholism
caitlynhm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Child death, Alcoholism, Murder, and Death
Minor: Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Animal death
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.
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.
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.