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not_a_robot01 's review for:
The Brothers Karamazov
by Fyodor Dostoevsky
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Going into this book, I was certainly intimidated. With over 800 pages, it was certainly daunting; it taunted me, laying on my bedside table.
However, I pushed through and, surprisingly, found myself enjoying it more than I had thought I would. I read Crime and Punishment in the past; it was alright, so I didn't have many expectations for this. I'll admit, there were parts that were exhausting to get through, and in total, it took me around a month and a half to finish.
I'm not someone who is familiar with the intricacies of Russian culture in the 1800s, so some things described were lost to me. Despite all these factors, I found this novel no less enjoyable. I was surprised at how engaging it was; in my opinion, it read like a soap opera at times. I was surprised at how funny it was. There were parts that genuinely had me laughing, parts that had my jaw literally drop, and parts that had me tear up. I never would have thought that reading an interrogation could be so engaging.
However, just as I felt with Crime and Punishment, I was disappointed by the ending. Perhaps I am not intellectual enough to understand his vague closing of the story, but I was left with many questions. For example: what happened to Lise? Did Ivan die? Did Dmitri escape? Maybe it was meant to be open ended on purpose, though I just was not satisfied with how the ending was written.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read; I definitely prefer it over Crime and Punishment and I recommend it (despite the boring parts).
However, I pushed through and, surprisingly, found myself enjoying it more than I had thought I would. I read Crime and Punishment in the past; it was alright, so I didn't have many expectations for this. I'll admit, there were parts that were exhausting to get through, and in total, it took me around a month and a half to finish.
I'm not someone who is familiar with the intricacies of Russian culture in the 1800s, so some things described were lost to me. Despite all these factors, I found this novel no less enjoyable. I was surprised at how engaging it was; in my opinion, it read like a soap opera at times. I was surprised at how funny it was. There were parts that genuinely had me laughing, parts that had my jaw literally drop, and parts that had me tear up. I never would have thought that reading an interrogation could be so engaging.
However, just as I felt with Crime and Punishment, I was disappointed by the ending. Perhaps I am not intellectual enough to understand his vague closing of the story, but I was left with many questions. For example: what happened to Lise? Did Ivan die? Did Dmitri escape? Maybe it was meant to be open ended on purpose, though I just was not satisfied with how the ending was written.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read; I definitely prefer it over Crime and Punishment and I recommend it (despite the boring parts).