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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Compared to The Idiot, which was the last book I read by Dostoevsky, The Brother Karamazov felt a lot more structured in its plot. However it dealt with many similar themes - the rise of atheism in Russia and whether virtue would survive this, morality in the face of an unjust society, growing contempt for those that follow a religious way of life. I can't help but feel that his novels are predominantly vehicles for him to express these sorts of ideas. That said, he has a way of making the characters feel so real, with their ever-changing internal dilemmas and thoughts that aren't clear to themselves (let alone others).
The chapters regarding Ivan's thoughts on religion were particularly interesting, as well as the speeches from the prosecutor and defence counsel (I loved how they framed the events in subtly different, yet plausible ways - showing how vague evidence and psychology can be a double-edged sword),
The chapters regarding Ivan's thoughts on religion were particularly interesting, as well as the speeches from the prosecutor and defence counsel (I loved how they framed the events in subtly different, yet plausible ways - showing how vague evidence and psychology can be a double-edged sword),
When I finished it, I considered it the greatest novel I'd ever read. Really wonderful stuff, well worth the journey.
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some things that might be interfering with my feelings: translation, expectation, reputation, mood, Nabokov.
At first, the characters were fascinating and perversely relatable, but by Part 2 or 3, they were predictable in their shallow unpredictability. The style seemed to lack complexity. I had trouble with the parts that were sermons, and the parts that were courtroom dramas.
I think I tried, too, like consulting George Saunders and Elif Batuman's recent books on Russian Lit. Saunders doesn't mention him, and Karamazov is only referenced in relation to Tolstoy shitting on it.
But what do I know! I liked Notes From the Underground a lot, I don't like Bulgakov as much as a lot of similar-minded people seem to, and I liked Anna Karenina. I dunno.
At first, the characters were fascinating and perversely relatable, but by Part 2 or 3, they were predictable in their shallow unpredictability. The style seemed to lack complexity. I had trouble with the parts that were sermons, and the parts that were courtroom dramas.
I think I tried, too, like consulting George Saunders and Elif Batuman's recent books on Russian Lit. Saunders doesn't mention him, and Karamazov is only referenced in relation to Tolstoy shitting on it.
But what do I know! I liked Notes From the Underground a lot, I don't like Bulgakov as much as a lot of similar-minded people seem to, and I liked Anna Karenina. I dunno.
Best book I have ever read. My favourite of all time.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Everyone needs to read this book. It is a difficult book to read because there is hauntingly truthful and heart-wrenching material right alongside powerful narrative and philosophical discussions. You will find yourself seeing traces of Ivan, Dmetri, Alyosha, Schmerdyakov and Fyodor everywhere that you look because Dostoevsky has so captured the human condition in these characters.
