The Brothers Karamazov

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Summary: really difficult and boring
Review: i found this really hard to get into all the names are too hard to pronounce maybe this should be called Brothers Jerkoff - i would recommend the movie instead if there is one

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Summary: One of the 2 most introspection-inducing novels I have read
Review: This is the most amazing compilation of thoughts on all aspects of life, character, religion, and society I have ever scene, with as much relevance to modern times as the great religious works(Bible, Qoran, etc.) This will make every person who reads it look at themselves more critically. One example of the amazing wisdom in this book is "If you are surrounded by wicked, ruthless people who will not listen to you, go down on your knees and beg them to forgive you, for if they do not listen to you,it is through your own fault.

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Summary: One day I will understand it all - a book for thinkers
Review: I read this book in a bit of a hurry about three years ago, and regret doing it that way. This is because it did not end up being the profound read that many of my friends said it was. In fact, I would go so far as to venture that Dostoevsky is not completely, or at least easily, accessible to people without a background in literature. It's not an impossible task though, and during the past three years I have found myself appreciating this masterwork more and more.

In fact, some parts of the book are breathtaking. Some basic, blunt, questions about life are asked and then answered. You may or may not like Dostoevsky's worldview, but you have to admit that he does make you think. For example, how many Christians have ever asked: "What if I die, and find out, after a lifetime of believing, that there's nothing, nothing, after death?" This question is asked and answered in the book, as are so many others that so many of us are afraid to ask.

Even if you don't have the patience to slog through the 700+ pages of the novel, at least borrow a copy from someone and read the chapter entitled 'The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor.' You cannot call yourself truly read until you have gone through these 20 or so pages that are possibly the greatest ever written in literature.

A last word of warning. If you do get the Bantam Classic version of this novel (i.e. the one with the purple cover), do NOT read the critique beforehand! Like many critiques, the writer feels obligated to give away the plot ahead of time. In this case, it is the name of the character who commits the murder. Since the book is really more about philosophy than plot, this ruined what little plot there was for me. The critique is a good one though, and should be read after the novel itself.

All said, I still highly recommend this book to anyone searching for either a good read or the meaning of life. Just make sure you are in a quiet place where you can really think!

Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: The Brothers K explores the question whether God exists. Dostoevsky gives both sides of the question much consideration. He was a man deeply concerned with the happiness of mankind. He was a master at combining plot with philosophy. It doesn't matter whether you're theist or atheist; this book will make you think if you've ever wondered who God is or if he exists.

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Summary: First of all exciting
Review: Althought it's very complex and deep (and long), "the brothers Karamazov" is never boring, because it's first of all a great thriller, in which suspense makes the ideological conflict more interesting and profound. One of the best novel ever.

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Summary: Constance Garnett is the best translator of Dostoyevsky
Review: Constance Garnett is by far the best translator of Dostoyevsky. Compare the scene in Crime and Punishment, where Raskolnikov is telling Sonia he committed the murder (around pages 320-330). "I wanted to have the daring," he says, as his motive. Or in the Brothers Karamazov, where Father Zosima (spelling?) tells about his older brother's death (page 302 or so in the Garnett hardocover translation). "Run along now. Enjoy life for me too." So much more beautiful than the other translators. If you are not going to read it in Russian, Garnett is the next best thing.

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Summary: On the translation...
Review: Standard comments on The Brothers Karamazov usualy range from "the only novel you'll ever have to read" to "everything--*everything*--is in this book."

I agree, and I'm not going to pretend I can say it any better. But don't go for the cheapie $5 mass market paperback, people. I bought it the first time I read this novel (I now own four different copies/translations), and the spine broke immediately after I opened it, the ink on the page runs if you place your finger on it, and the paper is cheap as all heck. There's a reason for it... this is a long, long book, and they had to keep the printing costs low. The extra money for a better verison is worth it just for the better printing and binding.

The translation for the Bantam Classics version, however, is not great. It's definitely readable, but not all that near the original. Or so I've been told by several Russian-speaking folks (several of whom are professors who've dedicated their lives to Dostovesky). It's a toss-up between the standard Constance Garnett translation (most editions have this one) and the new Pervears/Volkonsky translation under Vintage Classics.

Personally, I enjoyed the Vintage version the best: the binding and printing is excellent, and the translation is lively, readable, and about as close to the original as you can get in English. Garnett is a little archaic these days. Either way, however, don't go with Bantam Classics--if The Brothers Karamazov isn't worth a few extra bucks in this world, I don't know what is.

Rating:
Summary: Silly ...
Review: and sentimental mush. I admit that some parts of this work are excellent, but overall it is weak.

It is interesting that Dostoevsky is so highly revered in America and the West as a great writer, but his status in Russia is (and has been)that of a "mystic." Russians regard the works of Tolstoy, and even Turgenyev, Chechov, and Gogol superior to those of Dostoevsky.

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Summary: The best novel written, EVER!
Review: Besides the Holy Bible, no other book has influenced my life more than The Brothers Karamazov.

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Summary: The best book I ever read in my adult life
Review: Some say it's the best book ever written by a human being - and i add: the best book ever written by living creature or a spiritual being. although i haven't reached the end yet, i am already deeply inspired by the book's view of the world around us. some people tell me - stop reading those books, why are you reading those books all the time? and I answer: 'have you read Brothers Karamazov? Do you know what you are talking about? this book will change your life!' when i started reading this book i thought - oh it's probably just another book about a nice little family - i had no idea of the moral messagge that this book and his characters will bring to my life. and i want to end my review with a quote from the book. we are like the brother mitya: 'One of those whose spirit aspires not to wealth but for an answer'