4.31 AVERAGE

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

I’m reluctant to out myself as a less than literary reader, but as much as I liked the characters, plot, and philosophical musings in The Brothers Karamazov, I found big chunks of it tedious – which explains why I read 29 other books since starting this last October! Seriously, wouldn’t it be just as good with some judicious editing?

bardzo ciekawa z psychologicznego punktu widzenia, przy czym dość ciężkostrawna
challenging emotional inspiring slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

froglover's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH

nvm i am not in the mood for this right now

should probably read it again when i’m middle aged, and then again when my hair is gray
dark funny reflective sad
Plot or Character Driven: Character

Usually I really love Dostoevsky's novels, but I couldn't get myself invested in this one. I didn't grow to care about any of the main characters and the interpersonal drama and I couldn't care less about God and the religious aspect which is very, very, very prevalent in this one. Kolya Krasotkin was a fascinating character, though, wish I was half as eloquent as an adult as this child. 

i cant move on from the brothers K
dark emotional inspiring reflective tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Reading The Brothers Karamazov is less about following a plot and more about descending into the depths of the human soul. Dostoevsky doesn’t just write characters. Each brother represents a different existential lens: Dmitri, the chaos of desire, Ivan, the agony of reason (hello), Alyosha, the quiet resilience of faith, and Smerdyakov, the fatal result of emptiness. The part that truly captivated me was The Grand Inquisitor. It’s a staggering piece of literature that reads like a standalone philosophical text. Ivan’s parable lays bare a terrifying truth: people often don’t want freedom. They want certainty, comfort, someone else to take the burden of moral choice from their hands. It’s not just a critique of religious institutions. It echoes through modern political life, where we increasingly witness people turning away from democratic responsibility in favor of authority, control, and simplicity. The book reminds us that the fear of freedom is timeless and the refusal to bear its weight is a theme that transcends theology and seeps deep into political structures and everyday life philosophy. It forces us to ask not just what we believe, but what we are willing to take responsibility for.

This book isn’t easy. It’s demanding, dense, and at times devastating. But if you surrender to it, it changes you. Not by offering answers, but by burning the right questions into your conscience.
challenging emotional funny mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes