Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
An incredible articulation of 'the two abysses' of humanity. It is no wonder this is a favorite of the likes of Nietzsche, Freud, Einstein and many other world-class thinkers. I took a lot of time rereading and unpacking the dense dialog and elaborate prose using my not-so-world-class-thinking brain, but was rewarded with an understanding of new (and sometimes frightening and dangerous) ideas that shook the philosophical axiom in which my psyche and soul rests upon. I've never experienced a web of relationships so profoundly developed, flawed, and realistically human before (these characters are more fleshed out than I am!). And all of it- the philosophy, the religion, the extensive character development- compounds into more traditional narrative payoffs in the second half that are extremely satisfying. Shout out to Luke Thompson's immaculate audiobook reading- who helped my brain acclimate to the lofty and challenging prose of this incredible translation (McDuff - Penguin Classics).
As an avid reader who hates non-fiction, this here is the epitome of my argument on why fiction is better (Ok, Way of Kings is up there too). Hear me out.
The central story revolves around three brothers: One is deeply passionate with nothing to guide him aside from his emotions. Another is extremely intelligent and uses his mind to rationalize the world around him. While the third believes in God and dedicates his entire life to serving God in a monastery. Each have flaws in their worldview (some more than others), but we get to see how they interact with each other both in theory and in practice as well as how they grow when confronted with the truth of reality.
The first half of the book is solely building up the characters and the ideas they represent. Easily the best chapter of the book, and most famous, is the climax of this half. In "The Grand Inquisitor", Ivan (the intellectual) and Alexei (the monk) are discussing God. Ivan goes into a monologue explaining the evils of God and the sins of the church. He gives the best explanation of the "Problem of Evil" I have ever heard (eat your heart out, Dawkins) and explains how religion has been weaponized by the western church. Despite his argument, Alexei is able to counter with a crucial analysis of his argument. "Your poem is in praise of Jesus, not in blame of Him as you meant it." He then with a simple act of love dismantles Ivan's entire argument (eat your heart out, Turek). The scene is LONG, but well worth it. If you like philosophy and theology in dialogue, this first half was amazing and saves you a lot of reading as you get three books worth of ideas all dialoguing with each other.
BUT the second half is where the story really picks up. You see, a wicked man is murdered and through the characters actions, we get to see how well these ideas work in the real world. Can actions back up their words? Won't go into spoilers, but this section was really good. Emotions are felt and both Alexei and Ivan's development are insanely good, especially Ivan's when he talks with [SPOILERS] and enters a crisis of faith. I also love why Alexei chooses to leave the monastery because he is "too bright a light" to be hidden under a lamp. What good is a light, if kept in a basket away from society? Chills, y'all!
And, this is only the main plot! There is a subplot with Alexei in the monastery having his own crisis of faith and another with Alexei reconciling with a family his family has wronged. The latter was full of manly tears that make you think and feel equally hard. Honor, love, and 'childlike faith' are put on display along with social class commentary. Loved this scene and the ending when everything comes to a head made me tear up with both joy and sorrow. Death and life are held in tension until the very end. If you are an atheist, you get to see how a few of your arguments fall short when measured against reality. If you are a Christian, you are called to radically love your neighbor in a way that ensures both joy and suffering. Forgiveness comes at the cost of comfort and comfort comes at the cost of morality.
In short, put down "The God Delusion." Put down "Mere Christianity" and the "Screwtape Letters" Put down "The Communist Manifesto." Put down your "Pocket Niche." Put down "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist." Read this instead and, as a special bonus if you call right now, we'll add in a murder mystery!
The central story revolves around three brothers: One is deeply passionate with nothing to guide him aside from his emotions. Another is extremely intelligent and uses his mind to rationalize the world around him. While the third believes in God and dedicates his entire life to serving God in a monastery. Each have flaws in their worldview (some more than others), but we get to see how they interact with each other both in theory and in practice as well as how they grow when confronted with the truth of reality.
The first half of the book is solely building up the characters and the ideas they represent. Easily the best chapter of the book, and most famous, is the climax of this half. In "The Grand Inquisitor", Ivan (the intellectual) and Alexei (the monk) are discussing God. Ivan goes into a monologue explaining the evils of God and the sins of the church. He gives the best explanation of the "Problem of Evil" I have ever heard (eat your heart out, Dawkins) and explains how religion has been weaponized by the western church. Despite his argument, Alexei is able to counter with a crucial analysis of his argument. "Your poem is in praise of Jesus, not in blame of Him as you meant it." He then with a simple act of love dismantles Ivan's entire argument (eat your heart out, Turek). The scene is LONG, but well worth it. If you like philosophy and theology in dialogue, this first half was amazing and saves you a lot of reading as you get three books worth of ideas all dialoguing with each other.
BUT the second half is where the story really picks up. You see, a wicked man is murdered and through the characters actions, we get to see how well these ideas work in the real world. Can actions back up their words? Won't go into spoilers, but this section was really good. Emotions are felt and both Alexei and Ivan's development are insanely good, especially Ivan's when he talks with [SPOILERS] and enters a crisis of faith. I also love why Alexei chooses to leave the monastery because he is "too bright a light" to be hidden under a lamp. What good is a light, if kept in a basket away from society? Chills, y'all!
And, this is only the main plot! There is a subplot with Alexei in the monastery having his own crisis of faith and another with Alexei reconciling with a family his family has wronged. The latter was full of manly tears that make you think and feel equally hard. Honor, love, and 'childlike faith' are put on display along with social class commentary. Loved this scene and the ending when everything comes to a head made me tear up with both joy and sorrow. Death and life are held in tension until the very end. If you are an atheist, you get to see how a few of your arguments fall short when measured against reality. If you are a Christian, you are called to radically love your neighbor in a way that ensures both joy and suffering. Forgiveness comes at the cost of comfort and comfort comes at the cost of morality.
In short, put down "The God Delusion." Put down "Mere Christianity" and the "Screwtape Letters" Put down "The Communist Manifesto." Put down your "Pocket Niche." Put down "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist." Read this instead and, as a special bonus if you call right now, we'll add in a murder mystery!
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
This is the type of book where it is hard to describe in words how you feel about it because it almost feels like a book that can’t be described. While i did spoil myself with what the ending was I was very happy with my reading experiences with this book! even though it was almost 1000 pages it didn’t feel like it because of how fast and enjoyable it felt, you really feel like you know the characters. Each brother is distinct and so uniquely complex and each suffer so much whether it be themselves personally or the people around them. The differing perspective on religions and the ideologies discussed in this book is like nothing I have ever read or even thought about. It made me question my own beliefs and morality which made the book hard to read during those portions of the book but they were also my favorite parts!!!! I think my favorite brother would probably be Ivan but alyosha is another favorite. One of the best books I have read!!
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
So many memorable moments and characters. Truly life changing. My favorite book. Thank you and rest in peace Sir Fyodor Dostojewski
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes