Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
My copy of this classic--a Bantam classic edition published in 1970, translated by Andrew H. MacAndrew--is one that I've owned for at least 30 years old, maybe as many as 35. I bought it as a freshman at BYU, or maybe even while I was in high school, and I've carried it with me through moves and marriage and all else that has happened to me since then. I wish I'd tried to read it sooner, since I've plainly lost much of what I used to be have when it comes to taking on a truly long, involved, realistic novel (to say nothing of one of novels that everyone agrees is an essential part of the world literature canon). I pulled it off my shelf three years ago or so, and its been sitting beside my bed for all that time; I only really began trying to get through it this year, and I would occasionally think, as I slowly plowed through a chapter at a time, that I hadn't read anything like this since I read John Steinbeck's East of Eden more than 20 years ago--and I don't remember that novel giving me such a difficult time. But then, back then I was reading--and actually getting through--a lot of Steinbeck, Orwell, and Dickens, so I obviously my mind, during that post-undergraduate, pre-graduate school phase, was primed for some heavy, detailed, intellectually and psychologically and politically realistic immersion. Perhaps it just isn't any longer. Or maybe it's just that there wasn't Facebook to sap our minds back then. Anyway, whatever the reason, I'm happy to be finished, but rest assured, I'm not going to commit myself to reading Tolstoy or Elliot or Hardy anytime soon.
The Brothers Karamazov doesn't need any introduction or explanation; suffice to say that its a tale which not only paints a detailed picture of a whole world, but also provides a map of the emotional and spiritual lives of those who live in this world. Not all of the parts of this picture and map worked equally well for me; while Fyodor Karamazov and his three legitimate sons are all depicted in compelling and interesting ways, so many of the other characters were not, and for a story of a love triangle and a murder that was supposed to hold my attention over hundreds of pages as the supporting cast grew to number in the hundreds as well, the fact that so many of the secondary characters seemed to fade into one another turned getting from one chapter to the next an occasional slog. Elder Zosima is a fascinating creation, though, and the early scenes involving him and the Karamazovs at the monastery were very fine. I'd say the same for the officers who conducted the initial interrogation of Dmitry Karamazov after the murder of his father; that book, and then the trial itself, were my favorite parts of the whole novel. I could never really relate to or appreciate the significance of the schoolboys to Aloysha's narrative arc, and while Ivan is, in many ways, the most mysterious and fascinating character in the book, I felt no real tragedy to his final fate--rather, his possible visions and his ravings in response to Smerdyakov's confession/accusation just seemed kind of pathetic, and as a result, the majesty of his challenge to Aloysha (the Grand Inquisitor, the guarantee of happiness built upon the torture of a single child, "everything is permitted") seemed somewhat undermined. I wonder how much of this is my fault, for failing to hold in my mind the stakes through all the twists of turns of the novel, and how much is these translated words themselves? (Reading online, I find that many translators insist upon the importance of maintaining the distinctiveness of the narrator's voice and ground-level perspective to appreciating the story, and as that only occasionally came through in this edition, I wonder what I may have missed.)
Well, anyway, what can I say? It is a massive book, with much brilliance in it. (The final summings-up of the prosecuting and defense attorneys, which turn into inquires into the state of the Russian soul at the end of the 19th century, are especially wonderful.) I can't say I loved it, or that I'll ever read it again, or that it changed me--but at least I can check off one more box on my "to-read" like, and that's not nothing.
The Brothers Karamazov doesn't need any introduction or explanation; suffice to say that its a tale which not only paints a detailed picture of a whole world, but also provides a map of the emotional and spiritual lives of those who live in this world. Not all of the parts of this picture and map worked equally well for me; while Fyodor Karamazov and his three legitimate sons are all depicted in compelling and interesting ways, so many of the other characters were not, and for a story of a love triangle and a murder that was supposed to hold my attention over hundreds of pages as the supporting cast grew to number in the hundreds as well, the fact that so many of the secondary characters seemed to fade into one another turned getting from one chapter to the next an occasional slog. Elder Zosima is a fascinating creation, though, and the early scenes involving him and the Karamazovs at the monastery were very fine. I'd say the same for the officers who conducted the initial interrogation of Dmitry Karamazov after the murder of his father; that book, and then the trial itself, were my favorite parts of the whole novel. I could never really relate to or appreciate the significance of the schoolboys to Aloysha's narrative arc, and while Ivan is, in many ways, the most mysterious and fascinating character in the book, I felt no real tragedy to his final fate--rather, his possible visions and his ravings in response to Smerdyakov's confession/accusation just seemed kind of pathetic, and as a result, the majesty of his challenge to Aloysha (the Grand Inquisitor, the guarantee of happiness built upon the torture of a single child, "everything is permitted") seemed somewhat undermined. I wonder how much of this is my fault, for failing to hold in my mind the stakes through all the twists of turns of the novel, and how much is these translated words themselves? (Reading online, I find that many translators insist upon the importance of maintaining the distinctiveness of the narrator's voice and ground-level perspective to appreciating the story, and as that only occasionally came through in this edition, I wonder what I may have missed.)
Well, anyway, what can I say? It is a massive book, with much brilliance in it. (The final summings-up of the prosecuting and defense attorneys, which turn into inquires into the state of the Russian soul at the end of the 19th century, are especially wonderful.) I can't say I loved it, or that I'll ever read it again, or that it changed me--but at least I can check off one more box on my "to-read" like, and that's not nothing.
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
unexpectedly funny
expectedly profound
expectedly profound
How could I make a review of this? I've only read Ivan's Nightmare four times, and that's not even the best chapter in the book.
Really high highs, but had long sections where it dragged.
Really high highs, but had long sections where it dragged.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book delves into the complex dynamics of the Karamazov family, focusing on the moral and spiritual struggles of the three brothers: Dmitri, Ivan, and Alyosha. Their father, Fyodor, is a corrupt and depraved landowner whose murder forms the central plot. The novel explores themes of faith, doubt, free will, and the nature of evil, leading to a trial that tests the brothers' relationships and beliefs.
This is a literary masterpiece that brilliantly intertwines a gripping murder mystery with profound psychological inquiries. The characters are richly developed, each embodying different facets of the human psyche and spiritual struggle. While the novel's dense psychological writing can be challenging, its emotional depth makes it an enduring classic.
This is a literary masterpiece that brilliantly intertwines a gripping murder mystery with profound psychological inquiries. The characters are richly developed, each embodying different facets of the human psyche and spiritual struggle. While the novel's dense psychological writing can be challenging, its emotional depth makes it an enduring classic.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
too moralistic for my current state of well-being