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A review by louiza_read2live
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
5.0
WOW! 2nd time that I love this book, and this time even more. I don't think I will ever go wrong with Dostoyevsky. I think his books are best to read and reread. There is so much to unfold in terms of depth and understanding that every reading will be different than the previous one; the same book on each reread will feel as if it is a new book.
In all likelihood, I am in no way anywhere even near to understanding Dostoyevsky's writing and complexity. He is from the writers that I would have been thrilled to study at the University Level. Anyway, from my very limited knowledge and understanding, The Brothers Karamazov, as it can be said for all the work of Dostoyevsky, is deeply philosophical and thought provoking. There is so much to unfold in terms of depth and understanding in this book that every reading will be different than the previous one. Like with all Dostoyevsky's works, each reread feels as if read for the first time. I'm nowhere near in fully understanding Dostoyevsky's writing and complexity, and I would have loved to have studied him in depth at a university level, but he certainly is from my top favorite writers.
The Brothers Karamazov, as it can be said for all the work of Dostoyevsky, is deeply philosophical and thought provoking. The characters are highly complex and most of them can irritate the reader with their bad choices, bursts of emotions, and passions that border on the extremes of human sentiments. Nevertheless, Dostoyevsky manages to make us feel empathy and sympathy even for the worst of them. Dostoyevsky's strength, I think, is that he can really delve into a character's psyche in such depths that we might feel as if we are experiencing the deepest parts of a person's soul and mind, as if we are seeing a person from inside out, bearing their innermost thoughts, weaknesses, and intricacies with no filter. His characters stand before us completely vulnerable to our judgements, but once we get to know them, somehow, we root for them rather than judging them. We don't root for them on their worst; we see them develop, struggle, change, and we root for their redemption. I think that Dostoyevsky is successful in making us view the characters not as good or bad, but in light of their inner moral struggle with the good and the bad, and the temptations that stem from within them and from their external environment. Besides the Grant Inquisitor, the trial (won't say more to not spoil it) was the next best (if not the best for me) part of the book. It is sad that Dostoyevsky did not get to finish this work as I found out that he meant to continue writing, but he died before he was able to complete the next part of this book where we would probably be following Alyosha. The ending felt incomplete and abrupt. We get so invested in the lives of Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov's sons, so it's sad that we don't get to see the novel completed.
I've read this masterpiece by one of my favorite authors, Fyodor Dostoevsky, first time in English, years ago. Recently, I discovered ebooks and audio books in Greek on the public domain, and now I can enjoy listening to books also. I decided to reread this classic treasure, this time, by listening to it in Greek audio book while following the English physical book on some parts.
I enjoyed it even more this time as I could understand so much more from the Greek translation and it was much easier this time to follow the English translation too.
I highly recommend this book, along with every other work I have read by Dostoyevski.
It was 5 stars when I read it unabridged in English in the Pevear/Volokhovski translation, and it is still 5 stars in the same English book version and in the unabridged Greek audio book.
In all likelihood, I am in no way anywhere even near to understanding Dostoyevsky's writing and complexity. He is from the writers that I would have been thrilled to study at the University Level. Anyway, from my very limited knowledge and understanding, The Brothers Karamazov, as it can be said for all the work of Dostoyevsky, is deeply philosophical and thought provoking. There is so much to unfold in terms of depth and understanding in this book that every reading will be different than the previous one. Like with all Dostoyevsky's works, each reread feels as if read for the first time. I'm nowhere near in fully understanding Dostoyevsky's writing and complexity, and I would have loved to have studied him in depth at a university level, but he certainly is from my top favorite writers.
The Brothers Karamazov, as it can be said for all the work of Dostoyevsky, is deeply philosophical and thought provoking. The characters are highly complex and most of them can irritate the reader with their bad choices, bursts of emotions, and passions that border on the extremes of human sentiments. Nevertheless, Dostoyevsky manages to make us feel empathy and sympathy even for the worst of them. Dostoyevsky's strength, I think, is that he can really delve into a character's psyche in such depths that we might feel as if we are experiencing the deepest parts of a person's soul and mind, as if we are seeing a person from inside out, bearing their innermost thoughts, weaknesses, and intricacies with no filter. His characters stand before us completely vulnerable to our judgements, but once we get to know them, somehow, we root for them rather than judging them. We don't root for them on their worst; we see them develop, struggle, change, and we root for their redemption. I think that Dostoyevsky is successful in making us view the characters not as good or bad, but in light of their inner moral struggle with the good and the bad, and the temptations that stem from within them and from their external environment. Besides the Grant Inquisitor, the trial (won't say more to not spoil it) was the next best (if not the best for me) part of the book. It is sad that Dostoyevsky did not get to finish this work as I found out that he meant to continue writing, but he died before he was able to complete the next part of this book where we would probably be following Alyosha. The ending felt incomplete and abrupt. We get so invested in the lives of Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov's sons, so it's sad that we don't get to see the novel completed.
I've read this masterpiece by one of my favorite authors, Fyodor Dostoevsky, first time in English, years ago. Recently, I discovered ebooks and audio books in Greek on the public domain, and now I can enjoy listening to books also. I decided to reread this classic treasure, this time, by listening to it in Greek audio book while following the English physical book on some parts.
I enjoyed it even more this time as I could understand so much more from the Greek translation and it was much easier this time to follow the English translation too.
I highly recommend this book, along with every other work I have read by Dostoyevski.
It was 5 stars when I read it unabridged in English in the Pevear/Volokhovski translation, and it is still 5 stars in the same English book version and in the unabridged Greek audio book.