Reviews

Bratya Karamazovy by Fyodor Dostoevsky

sophieboddington's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

evamyers's review against another edition

5.0

I’m not quite sure what to write as a review in order to do this masterpiece justice.
It has worked its way to be my favourite book of all time. It changed the way I see certain things and think about others.

The depth and analysis of characters is incredible, no wonder it’s a classic. I would like to re read it time and time again at different stages of my life.

Truly incredible.

zawkawski's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

3.75

mxunsmiley's review against another edition

4.0

It was really entertaining. I enjoyed it a lot. However, it had a lot of problems which bothered me too much, namely the misogyny which doesn't surprise me but it wasn't something I could overlook. The female characters aren't given much depth and their lives revolve around the men in the story. They aren't very likable and mostly portrayed as fickle and inconstant. I did really like the philosophical questions it raised, though. I especially thought it was clever of the defense to insist that Mitya did not kill his father because Fyodor did not fulfill the role a father should. I also think the famous chapter "The Grand Inquisitor" is very interesting. I think I will have to reread it and gather my thoughts about it sometime. The brothers are very complex and worthy of a lot of analysis, I think, so it's a shame that like I said, the female characters aren't given as much respect and only serve as plot devices and motivations for the men. Overall, I feel like it's on par with Crime and Punishment which I enjoyed many years ago, and better than The Idiot which I thought was average. I am likely to read more of his work too.

steffski's review against another edition

1.0

This was torturous. It's on so many "every Christian needs to read" lists and I think that's just bologna. There is nothing redeeming enough of any of the dialogue or overall ideas to make this book worth suffering through.

ahmed_suliman's review against another edition

4.0

My review would never describe the brilliance of this piece of literature, it takes a detailed talk about a family for a rotten father who is Fyodor Karamzov and his sons, and as a result of his badness there wasn't stable children and it ended up over his own head by being murdered by a one of them. Till this moment it appears as a repeated tale you can hear from a naïve friend not even a great writer. But the most destinctive thing in dostoevesky's version was the deepest talk about different characters of the tale, demetry the small version of his father, Samerdyakov "the donkey servant" and the cruel half polished,  Ivàn the enlightened atheist son, Alyousha the angelic son. Let your Imaginations to witness a struggle for all of these characters, the religion versus the atheism, the enlightenment versus grogginess . And in the war of the opposites, the essences of difference between these opposites is very clear, and the probability of the variability appears much obvious in the same person.
Actually the great destoevesky give more than a single glimpse that tells us that Karmazov brothers are not more than the insidious different characters and thoughts of each mankind, each of us is in whole the brothers karamazov, and how can opportunities and welfares like money and women act on us, how can thoughts we build on others' affect us. And that was the take-home philosophy I loved in the bothers tale, the are all me and how it's very alarming to balance between them.
..
Pretty much quotes I've saved from these tale but I choose these ones that stole my sight and let keep the truth of my own variability upon my sight in my whole journey in this book :

"Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love." — father zosima

"The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there and the battlefield is the heart of man."

pot_licious's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sebwhalley's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

deboc's review against another edition

4.0

Top 5 books I have ever read in my life. Fascinating story line as it immerses you into the complex and superbly depicted psychology of the main character. All this while while touching upon practical philosophical issues regarding morals and ethics. Just a brilliant book and a very accessible start-point for Dostoevsky (compared to, for example, Brothers Karamasoz)

steyn0's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75