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Fraţii Karamazov by Albert Kovacs, Isabella Dumbravă, Ovidiu Constantinescu, Fyodor Dostoevsky
frannerd's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
labelledamesansmerci's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A more interesting dilemma than the one presented in Crime and Punishment, though the latter is still the better novel by virtue of being much shorter and of having presented first the ideas that The Brothers Karamazov continues (without adding anything new or interesting) elaborating on. I love long books and many of my favourites are well above 500 pages, and I can handle a slower pace, but Dostoyevsky is an unbearable sentimentalist who trudges on the same ground constantly and, what's worse - either repeats himself unconsciously or is trying to drive a point home in a way which suggests he doesn't respect his audience very much. Or, not that, as he seems very sincere in his convictions and the way he presents them, but he certainly gets lost in the sauce of his own philosophical tangents. Frankly, if The Brothers Karamazov were about 300 pages shorter, it may have been much more impactful. Certainly it would have been infinitely less tedious. Beyond that I tend to dislike the inelegant way in which Dostoyevsky directs you how to feel about all his characters and almost pedantically refuses to leave space for ambiguity. As Nabokov correctly noted - a painfully didactic novel. Its importance in the literary canon is to be respected, but it did not sway my opinion terribly.
zero_point_zero's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dcunitz's review against another edition
4.0
“Have you ever felt, have you ever dreamt what it is like falling from a mountain into a chasm? Well, that’s how I’m falling now, but not in a dream. And I’m not a bit afraid, and don’t you be afraid, either. I mean, I am afraid, but I love it. I mean, I don’t love it, but I feel excited….Oh, to hell with it.”
mittland's review against another edition
5.0
dostoevsky is such a tease with the way he's constantly adding "I could write a whole nother book about this side plot but I digress..." this is so long but it's comforting to be able to read a hundred pages at a time and still have so much left.
I love the messy, sort of abstracted writing style which manages to make things seem both funny and heartbreaking, I cried a lot reading this but statistically page for page it probably wasn't that bad.
waiting patiently for the sequel. very patiently
:(
I love the messy, sort of abstracted writing style which manages to make things seem both funny and heartbreaking, I cried a lot reading this but statistically page for page it probably wasn't that bad.
waiting patiently for the sequel. very patiently
:(
yaredz's review against another edition
5.0
It's been almost a year since I first read this book, and I've been agonizing over a way to put my thoughts into writing. The truth is, since I first started reading it, rarely does a day pass in which Dostoevsky's characters don't spring to life within my mind. A professor of mine-one who I respect greatly- once said that this book is about the question of But if this is her central takeaway from the novel, then it is no surprise that she prefers Tolstoy to Dostoevsky.
To me, the primary purpose of the novel's plot is to provide a sandbox where Dostoevsky's ideas are displayed for all the world to see- although necessary, it in itself cannot be the fundamental meaning of the novel. Think of the contrast between Beethoven's G Major and Mozart's C Major Piano Concerti- in Mozart, a few bars into the orchestral exposition, as if it were mere magic, he uncovers an unmistakeable 4 note motif. Beethoven no doubt took inspiration from Mozart, yet he breaks concerto form in the most Beethovenian way, beginning the G Major with a conspicuously similar theme. Yet what fundamentally seperates the two composers is this: in Mozart, the idea occurs during composition, finding its way into traditional concerto form in the exposition. But Beethoven breaks down even the fundamental principles of form, introducing the theme through the pianist- in his case, as in Dostoevsky, ideas take precedence over form.
In my eyes, Beethoven's genius never came from the melodic beauty of these themes- imagine the simplicity of the primary theme in the 7th symphony's Allegretto, or that of the famous 5th symphony. Taken alone, they are nothing noteworthy. But it is how Beethoven develops his ideas throughout a piece that cements his status as one of, if not the greatest. To dispense with the metaphor, while Beethoven's ideas take shape in musical themes, Dostoevsky's characters are in themselves walking ideas. And in the same way, it is the interactions between the characters that truly raise this book into the library of the greats- they prompt the question: how do I choose to live? Thus, The Brothers Karamazov is about something much more than a criminal mystery. It is about life.
II
If it were solely up to me, I would let the above stand as a review. Yet I feel as though I have an obligation to Dostoevsky's writing, about which I have hencefore said nothing. But the truth is, there are so many synopses on this site that I wonder whether it would be worth it for me to follow the standard method of literary criticism- not to mention that I have already exhausted 3 paragraphs on the plot's trivial nature. So, if you'll excuse my prior digressions, I shall attempt to explore some personal meanings of Dostoevsky's walking ideas.
Ivan
O, Ivan! I could have confused you for the reflection of my former self. You take on the burden of rationality, despite all the pain it has caused you. You yearn for love, you idealize it: yet in order to find it, you must leave logic behind and dive into the depths of your heart- for love is passion, not rationality. You suffer for all those innocents, not knowing how God stands by and lets them suffer. Most importantly, you wish to believe, to have faith. Alas! The chains of rationality hold you back from the precipice. For faith begins precisely when thinking leads off, but you could never give up all you stand for. I suppose Raskolnikov was right: the greatness of your intelligence and unwavering concience have condemned you to suffering.
Alyosha
How could I thank you for what you have so graciously given me? Youthful enthusiasm is best understood in adolesence, and you could have not come at a more opportune time. It is to you I owe the death of reason- the rare death that must be celebrated, not mourned! It is to you I owe the awakening of compassion within my soul, the very love that permeates my being. But above all else, you have cultivated the seed of faith I had neglected for eighteen years- it is to you I owe the power to move mountains. Perhaps one day, I'll look at myself through a mirror and see you; what a sight that would be!
III
I see, dear reader, the slight glazing over your eyes... I shall hold you no longer! Maybe one day, if you wish to hear more from me, I shall return to finish my review. But for now, let us be united in our gratuity for Dostoevsky and his greatest novel.
Hurrah for Karamazov!
IV
Reviewer's Note: This was written in around an hour, so probably very badly written, and I most likely won't try to make it better. However, it was also very fun to re-kindle the creative spark, and I'll probably add to it when the mania next comes to visit!
P.S. The reason I can't give this book an "actual" review is because I cannot directly put its value into words. For that reason you can consider this review as if it were written under a pseudonym, even though I haven't thought of one for myself. In any case, this is genuinely the greatest novel of all time, please read it for your own sake... It's worth the cumulative sum of every star I've ever given on this website, and even that might not be enough.
Spoiler
who is truly guilty in the murder of Fyodor Pavlovich.To me, the primary purpose of the novel's plot is to provide a sandbox where Dostoevsky's ideas are displayed for all the world to see- although necessary, it in itself cannot be the fundamental meaning of the novel. Think of the contrast between Beethoven's G Major and Mozart's C Major Piano Concerti- in Mozart, a few bars into the orchestral exposition, as if it were mere magic, he uncovers an unmistakeable 4 note motif. Beethoven no doubt took inspiration from Mozart, yet he breaks concerto form in the most Beethovenian way, beginning the G Major with a conspicuously similar theme. Yet what fundamentally seperates the two composers is this: in Mozart, the idea occurs during composition, finding its way into traditional concerto form in the exposition. But Beethoven breaks down even the fundamental principles of form, introducing the theme through the pianist- in his case, as in Dostoevsky, ideas take precedence over form.
In my eyes, Beethoven's genius never came from the melodic beauty of these themes- imagine the simplicity of the primary theme in the 7th symphony's Allegretto, or that of the famous 5th symphony. Taken alone, they are nothing noteworthy. But it is how Beethoven develops his ideas throughout a piece that cements his status as one of, if not the greatest. To dispense with the metaphor, while Beethoven's ideas take shape in musical themes, Dostoevsky's characters are in themselves walking ideas. And in the same way, it is the interactions between the characters that truly raise this book into the library of the greats- they prompt the question: how do I choose to live? Thus, The Brothers Karamazov is about something much more than a criminal mystery. It is about life.
II
If it were solely up to me, I would let the above stand as a review. Yet I feel as though I have an obligation to Dostoevsky's writing, about which I have hencefore said nothing. But the truth is, there are so many synopses on this site that I wonder whether it would be worth it for me to follow the standard method of literary criticism- not to mention that I have already exhausted 3 paragraphs on the plot's trivial nature. So, if you'll excuse my prior digressions, I shall attempt to explore some personal meanings of Dostoevsky's walking ideas.
Ivan
O, Ivan! I could have confused you for the reflection of my former self. You take on the burden of rationality, despite all the pain it has caused you. You yearn for love, you idealize it: yet in order to find it, you must leave logic behind and dive into the depths of your heart- for love is passion, not rationality. You suffer for all those innocents, not knowing how God stands by and lets them suffer. Most importantly, you wish to believe, to have faith. Alas! The chains of rationality hold you back from the precipice. For faith begins precisely when thinking leads off, but you could never give up all you stand for. I suppose Raskolnikov was right: the greatness of your intelligence and unwavering concience have condemned you to suffering.
Alyosha
How could I thank you for what you have so graciously given me? Youthful enthusiasm is best understood in adolesence, and you could have not come at a more opportune time. It is to you I owe the death of reason- the rare death that must be celebrated, not mourned! It is to you I owe the awakening of compassion within my soul, the very love that permeates my being. But above all else, you have cultivated the seed of faith I had neglected for eighteen years- it is to you I owe the power to move mountains. Perhaps one day, I'll look at myself through a mirror and see you; what a sight that would be!
III
I see, dear reader, the slight glazing over your eyes... I shall hold you no longer! Maybe one day, if you wish to hear more from me, I shall return to finish my review. But for now, let us be united in our gratuity for Dostoevsky and his greatest novel.
Hurrah for Karamazov!
IV
Reviewer's Note: This was written in around an hour, so probably very badly written, and I most likely won't try to make it better. However, it was also very fun to re-kindle the creative spark, and I'll probably add to it when the mania next comes to visit!
P.S. The reason I can't give this book an "actual" review is because I cannot directly put its value into words. For that reason you can consider this review as if it were written under a pseudonym, even though I haven't thought of one for myself. In any case, this is genuinely the greatest novel of all time, please read it for your own sake... It's worth the cumulative sum of every star I've ever given on this website, and even that might not be enough.
jacquelinelindsay's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bas_leeslijst's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
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
3.0