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w0rdeater 's review for:
The Brothers Karamazov
by Fyodor Dostoevsky
This is my favorite novel of all time. I've read it three times: when I was twenty, when I was thirty and when I was forty. I'll probably read it again when I'm fifty.
The three brothers can be explained as the thinker, the doer and the observer. Ivan is the thinker who with the theory that everything is permitted in the absence of a God or an afterlife. Dmitri, the doer, is an impulsive type who likes broads, booze and gambling. The youngest brother Alyosha is the observer, who visits people and listens to them. The fourth (half-)brother, Smerdyakov is fawning but sly.
There's a contrast between Katerina Ivanovna and Grushenka. They both have a soft spot for Dmitri, despite his obvious flaws. Katerina has a high rank in society, but has hysterical fits and can be treacherous. Grushenka is a “fallen woman” in the eyes of society, but has a noble nature. All characters have their own style of speech: the cackling of Mrs. Khokhlakova, the incoherent speeches of Dmitri, the intellectual musings of Ivan, the wise words of the starets…
Exoteric religion, focused on worldly display, is represented by excessively fasting, superstition, icons and the power hungry Grand Inquisitor. Esoteric religion, focused on inner faith and caritas, is represented by the starets, who's Alyosha's spiritual guide and sends him out into the world.
Most of the action takes place within three days; only the trial takes longer. Dostoevsky attended trial to prepare this book. He satirizes the false rhetoric of the lawyers. His style is verbose, but he never gets boring. It has philosophical and psychological depth, but also enough suspense and humor to remain exciting over the whole length.
The three brothers can be explained as the thinker, the doer and the observer. Ivan is the thinker who with the theory that everything is permitted in the absence of a God or an afterlife. Dmitri, the doer, is an impulsive type who likes broads, booze and gambling. The youngest brother Alyosha is the observer, who visits people and listens to them. The fourth (half-)brother, Smerdyakov is fawning but sly.
There's a contrast between Katerina Ivanovna and Grushenka. They both have a soft spot for Dmitri, despite his obvious flaws. Katerina has a high rank in society, but has hysterical fits and can be treacherous. Grushenka is a “fallen woman” in the eyes of society, but has a noble nature. All characters have their own style of speech: the cackling of Mrs. Khokhlakova, the incoherent speeches of Dmitri, the intellectual musings of Ivan, the wise words of the starets…
Exoteric religion, focused on worldly display, is represented by excessively fasting, superstition, icons and the power hungry Grand Inquisitor. Esoteric religion, focused on inner faith and caritas, is represented by the starets, who's Alyosha's spiritual guide and sends him out into the world.
Most of the action takes place within three days; only the trial takes longer. Dostoevsky attended trial to prepare this book. He satirizes the false rhetoric of the lawyers. His style is verbose, but he never gets boring. It has philosophical and psychological depth, but also enough suspense and humor to remain exciting over the whole length.