Comments (30)

The Brothers Karamazov

a Novel in Four Parts With Epilogue
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1 to 25 of 30 items
Dec 09, 2023
For Mount Olive Book Club.
Apr 08, 2023msnovack rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Written in 1869, this book proves that human nature never changes—at least when tackled by a literary genius. The humor is surprisingly modern. There are some lengthy philosophical and religious lectures that are tedious to read, but they…
Mar 09, 2023FloraWest rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I usually prefer more contemporary fiction but it's hard to argue with Dostoyevsky's excellent craftsmanship and the modern psychology of the characters. A surprise bonus for me-there is definitely humor laced throughout the heaviness and…
Aug 24, 2022Herrickdl_Matthew rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The most beautiful book I have ever read. There is no aspect of the human experience that Dostoyevsky doesn't examine with the upmost care and diligence; nor is there any emotion forgotten in this behemoth of Russian literature. While I…
Jul 29, 2022ekhdong rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Long. Interesting characters to a certain extent. Too long. Glad I read it. Glad never to read it again.
Oct 23, 2021Ob1Shinobi rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book from the very first page. The characters evoked in me a wide range of emotions (from anger and resentment to pity, even to admiration, sometimes all in the same character) and the ideas discussed were incredibly…
Jun 26, 2021jessegabriel rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Dostoyevsky KNOWS how to write excellent characters, and he KNOWS how to convey ideas that will grip you and toss you on your back. There's a lot of religion, philosophy, and spirituality on these pages, nestled in an honestly thrilling…
May 26, 2020roystreet rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
"The Karamazov Brothers"* is, like its successors "Life and Fate" and "The Fountainhead," a philosophical novel. To the psychologist, it is holy writ. So, beware: here you'll find no historical sweep, communion with nature, or…
May 13, 2019Talman rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book is a must read for anyone interested in a deep analysis of the question of why, if God does exist, does He allow mankind to suffer. It is as contemporary in its importance as anything written today, and this drama is…
Apr 27, 2019darkaegisagain rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Another long dramatic Russian classic.. it's a REAL haul to finish this book and I am not sure it's worth the eye strain with the smaller than average print. In the end I didn't care what happened and forced myself to finish the book.
Dec 21, 2018VonHafenstaaad rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
'The Brothers Karamazov' is a masterpiece, considered one of the best novels of all time. Many of humanity's greatest minds hail this book as the most important literary work. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it to anyone with a good…
Dec 19, 2018Quietday rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Of course, expertly written and a classic for a reason. I would say go slowly and use a reader's guide for the characters if need be because there are many, and the pet names in Russian can be confusing. That said, Dostoyevsky consistently…
Jul 23, 2018dissymissylessy rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Some will take the Grand Inquisitor segment as encouragement to interrogation, even to do so on their own relatives. These people, had they not left Germany in the '40s and 30s, would have worked for Stasi, in East Germany, and their…
Feb 07, 2018johnlau_0 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? It was written over 100 years ago, and is still relevant. Unless, of course, you are some teenage edge-lord who is too cool to have a soul. Then I pity you, and you should…
Nov 25, 2017rpavlacic rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Dostoyevsky's masterwork is not an easy book to read. The paragraphs go on for pages, quotations go on for pages, and the main reason for the book - a murder - doesn't happen until past page 500; the rest is prologue with extended…
May 28, 2017Janice21383 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
What Russian young men were doing in the 19th century, instead of building railroads and improving agriculture. They were writing poetry, agitating for and against their overwhelming, authoritarian society, spending thousands of rubles on…
Feb 24, 2017
The translation I read is the one from "Great Books of the Western World" series, but since this catalog entry is the one that has comments attached to it, I'll just copy my post to this thread: There were bits and pieces of the book…
Jan 23, 2016haileyj rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
As one reader wrote, the book is too heavily padded with words which made for a boring read. I got to about page 400 (out of 1000+) and gave up before the father was murdered because I just didn't care why or which son did it.…
jackseney
Jan 03, 2016
Yes, a classic, a work of genius, etc., etc. but also overlong and very heavily padded (Dostoyevsky, like Dickens and other "greats," wrote for serialization and for money, making lengthy exposition, dramatic cliffhangers, overwrought…
Dec 15, 2015
Three brothers Two women One murder. New Translation.
Nov 19, 2014
Critics recommend this translation, especially.
Apr 04, 2014
Maybe I shouldn't write a review if I haven't even finished the book yet. It's rather an overwhelming amount of words to read, in my defense. In fact, everything about this book is overwhelming - the characters, the dialogue, the amount…
Jun 19, 2013GerryD rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Considered one of the Top 10 classic novels (my #7) of the western world. The best of five major novels in the Top 200 by this major Russian author. See my GerryD Lists for other great novels.
Nov 27, 2011snakie_chick rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I think you may have to be Christian to consider this a masterpiece. The parts in between the long, rambling philisophical bits were very good.
Baltodano
Oct 20, 2011Baltodano rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
As someone who has read over a thousand books of literarure ranging from the time of Homer, to Shakespeare, to Kafka, to Steinbeck, I can honestly say that 'The Brothers Karamazov' is arguably the greatest work of fiction ever produced.…