Rating: 
Summary: Should I be punished for this criminal review?
Review: Never mind the one star rating, for that indicates a judgement I wouldn't dare pass on any author. But it does indicate my feeling about the book, which, of course, is a different matter. Whatever the state of my literary knowledge, and the quality of my objective judgements, my feelings are entitled to expression.
The Brothers Karamzov was the second work of Dostoyevsky's that I've "read", the first being Crime and Punishment, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I thought the Problem with The Brothers Karamzov was that it was excessively psychological, to an implausible extent. I simply didn't believe in all of the heavy speculation Dostoyevsky couldn't tear himself away from. All of the main characters were dealt with in this way, and, because of this, I felt it hard to get attached to even one character. Thus, the book left me feeling empty, yet with a mass of character psychology I didn't believe in. (And if Dostoyevsky's psychologizing was plausible, then he is, to my eyes, impossibly insightful. Besides, plausible or not, there is too much of it for an artistic work, I think. It doesn't permit artistic balance.)
By the way, I'm not biased against these long, complex works of literature, because War and Peace is one of my favourite books.
I put the word read in inverted commas because, of the approx. 900 pages of my volume of The Brothers Karamzov, I stopped at approx. 450. My above-mentioned reaction convinces me that this was justified. If I had read the book completely, my opinion would very probably have remained the same.
Rating: 
Summary: Truly one of the best novels ever written
Review: The above phrase is, indeed, used far too often and too lightly, and is generously applied to works that definitely do not deserve the title. However, this deep, compelling, and profoundly thoughtful masterpiece is certainly worthy of the accolade. Dostoyevsky was never one to skimp on length, but this book is truly massive: nearly 1,000 pages in paperback form. Unbelievably, every word counts. His final novel, Dostoyevsky wrote this book at the end of his life, taking most of his final decade to do so, and it incorporates elements from each of his previous works into one unbelievably complex tapestry. You may have heard that this book is the story of a murdered father and his sons, one of which committed the patricide. Such a crude description of the book does no justice at all to this masterpiece: it is akin to saying that Animal Farm is about "a bunch of animals who talk and rise up against humans." Indeed, this event does not even take place in the novel until well over a third of the way into the book - a length greater than that of most complete novels. It is merely a backdrop for the real ramifications of the novel: the psychological, philosophical, and theological ground it treads. As one perceptive reviewer noted, Dostoyevsky was as much a psychologist and philosopher as a mere novelist: his works had a huge impact on world thought in both of these fields - not just in Russia - and influenced everyone from Freud to Nietzsche to modern-day writers such as James Morrow. The problem of the existence of God is a central point of the novel - as it is in all of Dostoyevsky's greatest works - reaching its pinnacle in Ivan Karamazov's famous tale of the Grand Inquisitor. The work was obviously a huge influence on the aforementioned Nietzsche as it raised the frightening question that, if God does not indeed exist, is then everything permitted? - just as Crime and Punishment anticipated Nietzsche's concept of the Superman. Dostoyevsky clearly had a lot to say, and he poured it all into this book. A profoundly deep, penetrating novel that portrays a frighteningly accurate portrait of human nature, The Brothers Karamazov is truly one of the greatest works of world literature. One of the greatest novels ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Luminous. Perfect.
Review: I could delve into the complex meaning of this beautiful novel. Unfortunatly for some (and fortunatly for others who may view people's interpretations of novels as 'The Way' as arrogant), I'll only provide hints. The core of this novel lies in the beautiful frailty of its most refined character, Ivan. Ivan represents the scholarly intellectual that thouroughly refutes God and morality. His thoughts on this topic have made him delineate an argument against God in his poem "the Grand Inquisitor." The point being, Ivan, with his rational mind, refutes God. Personally, I do not concretly believe in God either way, but I learned two very important things while reading this book. Man cannot be rational at all times. Secondly, man is even required to be irrational at times. Now that these two rules of humanity have been etched in stone (by Dosteovksy before this paltry review) we must reexamine the character of Ivan in this novel. It is his fate at the end of the novel that is the novel's core and point. With this beautiful message, Dosteovsky left the mortal world and finally received the wisdom of what is beholden in the eternal verities.
Rating: 
Summary: read for philosophy, not dostoevsky's best story-telling
Review: some profound philosophical scenes here, especially for those obsessed with anti-christianity and anti-totalitarianism. dostoevsky pours his thinking into his last work. all the elements from his previous works are there, but alas! he goes too far...the characters come off stiff, or in some cases unbelievable. sermon after sermon, especially as the all-too-obvious ending approaches. it doesn't have the suspense of crime and punishment. it doesn't have the satire of demons. dostoevsky wrote it during the most comfortable period of his life. his self-assurance led him to proselytize, rather than entertain. this one's for academics and hard-core fans. hard to beat this translation, by the way--constance garnett's sucks.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible Book
Review: Reading this book may seem like a monumental task at first, but it is not a difficult read at all. In fact it is quite a pleasurable one. In my opinion there is hardly a wasted paragraph. There are around 800 pages to cover, but events are basic enough to understand the plot completely. Almost every character is fascinating in their own way. Also, it is difficult to think of a theme more relevant, especially for our time: the purpose of spirituality in our lives. A very interesting book to read and compare to Brothers Karamazov is The Trial by Kafka. These two books almost seem like opposite sides of the same coin. But I'd side with Dostoevsky's optimism.
Rating:
Summary: No story!
Review: If you are interested in reading a book with a plot, or something resembling a plot, you're in the wrong place. Classic or no, I couldn't care less about the characters and never finished the book. It was a waste of valuable reading hours.
Rating:
Summary: some good, mostly bad
Review: I do not feel that I am stupid, nor dim, nor do I only need to read action-packed stories, but I just do not see the fascination with this novel. I understand the conflicting personalities and all that - but man, it was wrapped up into a whole lot of boring stuff!
Rating:
Summary: Best book I know
Review: This is the best book I know. From what I read, it was also the favorite novel of Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud and Albert Camus. It's no difficult read, though it is very long, but once you get through the first pages you'll find yourself hooked in this vast web of situations and conversations. The book is very philosophical and theological, but you don't have to know anything about philosophy or anything, it's written in words everyone can understand. Alyosha is a truly inspiring character, representing the perfect, selfless christian (Dostojevski wanted to write a sequel to 'Karamazov' in which Alyosha would become a revolutionary, but he died before he got the chance to write it); Dmitri is the drunk/gambler/hedonist with a good heart; Iwan (my favourite) is the thinker, constantly doubting gods existence or nonexistence (like Dostojevski himself). Then there's the father Fyodor, a really funny character, mocking everything, turning everything into a game, the real nihillist. The chapter about 'The grand inquisitor' is the best, and also the chapter when Iwan has a conversation with the devil. There are a couple of stories in this book , not just one, and every character is very deeply portrayed. Dostojevski put everything that was inside of him into this book : his constant struggle to stay a christian, his hatred for the church of Rome and the West, the loss of his son Alyosha, his love for the Russian common people, his epilepsy, his gambling problem, his conviction to Siberia, love affairs... 'Karamazov' has it ALL! Believe me. Dostojevski does not write beautiful sentences. His sentences are crooked and simple. He is not after your smile with smart irony. Dostojevski was not a rich man when he wrote his books. He had a family to take care of and a gambling problem, and also bad health. In this condition he wrote many many beautiful, long books. I think he didn't bother to write smartass literature like Oscar Wilde or something.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book - one of the best
Review: Dostoyevsky commands emotion, feeling, and passion equal to the greatest writers. This book is one of the best (long) novels a person can read, that details the intense lives of an overly dramatic Russian family (prior to communism). One of the major themes present in the book however, is a form of socialism (different from communism). Alexi and his master, Father Zosima, represent all that is good and orderly in a Russian world of chaos. Alexi constantly strives to affect the world around him, outside of the monestary, while Father Zosima constantly strives to affect his fellow brethen living inside the monestary so that they may better lead the outside world. The main point where Dostoyevsky and I disagree lies in man's responsibility to clean up all other man's problems, spills, crimes, etc. He uses religious undertones to protray a feeling of shared responsibility. The fact that children are hungry in Africa or that a murder is committed in LA is as much your fault, as of the individual that committed the crime or the dictator who hoardes the food. This point I disagree. I belive in respect, kindness, etc., however the stong cannot always cary the weak (read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand). Regardless of your political or socioeconomic viewpoints, Dostoyevsky will make you ponder, seriously ponder the meaning of life. At times I could only read a few pages or paragraphs and then I would find myself thinking of how the issues and themes presented by the author related to my own beliefs today. Aside from the philosophy of the novel, historically, the book contains some interesting facts surrounding life at that time in both Russia and the world beyond. France is seen as the cultural center of the world. Medicine is expanding to include prescriptions and a better understanding of bacteria. Law is changing to include psychology. Science is beginning to theorize about atomic energy and minute chemical balances. This alone could make for an interesting discussion. As in the version, I wish I had purchased a more expensive copy, as the text was too tight to the page and sometimes made reading difficult. The translation however, was amazing. Overall a clear 5 out of 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: This is what it means to be Russian
Review: By far the greatest work ever written. A work that shows humanity for all it is and all it is destine to become. Ivan Karamazov is by far the most interesting chraracter in all European liturature. The Grand Inquisitor was....astounding. Only a few works of art compare to this marvel the 9th symphony by beethoven, David, the Hajia Sophia. But this work is the most sublime, it speaks to humanity but at the same time is able to discribe the Russian soul, people, and culture in a way no one else could truly understand. Russia is a vast torrent of thoughts, violence, lust, love...all life. The brothers karamazov speaks the word of God. And in spite of what all other say of him, for me...Dostoyevsky is the greatest writer in the history of mankind.
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