Book Review: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Title: The Brothers Karamazov
Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky
Publication Date: November 1880

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Genre: Classics, Fiction

The Brothers Karamazov is a murder mystery, a courtroom drama, and an exploration of erotic rivalry in a series of triangular love affairs involving the “wicked and sentimental” Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov and his three sons―the impulsive and sensual Dmitri; the coldly rational Ivan; and the healthy, red-cheeked young novice Alyosha. Through the gripping events of their story, Dostoevsky portrays the whole of Russian life, is social and spiritual striving, in what was both the golden age and a tragic turning point in Russian culture.

It's been a long time since I've read such a dense, grand, and most of all, important piece of literature for fun. I've been putting off reading this book for years because of the sheer length being very intimating. In fact, I tried to read this book twice before finally finishing it a few days ago. I read up to page 300 before forgetting about it in the dust a year ago, and then after getting a Kindle which made reading dense paragraphs a lot easier, I speed read a book that apparently takes 30 hours to finish in 5 days. Talk about an addiction! But getting to this point was not easy. I kept dropping the book because it was difficult. A 5 page paragraph on religion would be followed with another monologue that took time to follow and dissect. I wasn't particularly interested in questions of religion and faith when I was younger but now that I'm older I realize the importance of these questions and how facsinating it can be. I don't know why I didn't drop this book entirely after not being able to read it twice, but I think a part of me knew that it was important, I have heard so many good things about it and how it is one of the best pieces of literature ever written. So I persevered and I don't regret it a single bit.

The Brothers Karamazov is considered Dostoyevsky's magnum opus because it addresses the most pressing questions one can have about humanity, such as the question of faith, religion, morality, and conscience. It discusses the meaning of life, of nihilsits, atheists, joy and suffering, and Christianity. It centers around the three Karamazov brothers, Dmitri, Alyosha, and Ivan, and an illegitimate brother named Smerdyakov. The murder of their father, Fyodor Pavlovitch occurs and the book is a courtroom drama investigating the murder while deeply delving into the psychology of the characters. 

“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.”

 

Each of the brothers represents a facet of humanity.  

Dmitri is a passionate, headstrong, sensualist known for his recklessness, and is the most livid and turblent of the three brothers. He is the one who is suspected of the parricide due to his character. He has a heart capable of love and is also conscious of his own evils which makes him so likeable because he's painted so realistically as a flawed human being.I related to Dmitri a lot, as he is someone who gets carried away by his emotions but ultimately undergoes spiritual change after being accused of the murder. His duality of character is particularly interesting--as much as he holds a dark nature, resents his father, and wants to manipulate women, the better part of his nature gets ahold of him and he does not end up carrying out his schemes. He resents his father for good reason--he owes him a lot of his mother's inheritance that he will not pay back and they love the same woman named Grushenka. Dmitri is not as devoutly spiritual as Alyosha nor is he as aethist as Ivan, he serves as a middle ground and represents the majority of people. He cares a lot about his honour as a person, especially when he exclaims the difference between a scoundrel and a thief. The distinction is sublte; a scoundrel has behaves very badly with no moral principles while a thief steals and commits a crime. He'd rather be in the right and retain his honour by being a scoundrel who squanders money foolishly with the intention of giving it back, instead of a thief who has no intention of returning the money. Dmitri is like his father--they both love the same woman and are sensualists. But Dmitri is conscious and aware of his wickedness while his father has no sense of remorse. Thus, Dmitri has the ability to repent and redeem himself because he suffers from his conscience. 

Ivan is the tortured intellectual who questions the existence of God, and suffers terribly due to his doubts and skepticism. His character is to show that we are not necessarily happier when we are rational and intellectual, nor are we better off as aethists. He is a humanist and inside him brews questions that have no good answers: Why is there so much suffering if there is God? Why do people believe in God when he created so much evil? He is nihilistic and rational but is tormented with the irrationality of life. 

Alyosha is the good natured monk who everyone vents to because he listens. He is the embodiment of a Christian saint. He has a heart full of love, even loving a cripple Lizaveta because he cares about her feelings more than he does his own. Everyone vents their sins to him as he is a great listener and never jduges anyone. 

Finally, Smerdyakov is a vindictive, misanthropic, and spiteful illegitmate son who is far more intelligent than anyone gives him credit for. These characters are so well written with their own idiosyncracies and representation. Because he was shown no love to him by Fyodor Pavlovitch and is made a servant of the house instead, he is filled with bitter resentment and hate towards the world. He suffers from epilepsy and is ridiculed, further reinforcing his negative views of life.

One of the toughest questions to answer is: "What is the truth about human existence?" Father Zossima, a monk in the monastery, discusses the importance of telling the truth: 

“Above all, do not lie to yourself. A man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point where he does not discern any truth either in himself or anywhere around him, and thus falls into disrespect towards himself and others. Not respecting anyone, he ceases to love, and having no love, he gives himself up to passions and coarse pleasures in order to occupy and amuse himself, and in his vices reaches complete bestiality, and it all comes from lying continually to others and himself.”

And thus the Karamazov brothers embark on a philosophical journey to discover this truth, especially Ivan who narrates the most profound chapter in this book, "The Grand Inquisitor". Truth to be told, this chapter was a very difficult read. It was elaborate and full of biblical references, which did not do justice to someone unfamiliar with the Bible. I'll have to give this chapter a couple of rereads to fully grasp the material. But essentially it is on suffering, God, and free will. It is known as an extremely revolutionary chapter that is one of the best known dialogues in modern literature however due to its content. I believe it is Dostoyevsky's attempt to unveil the movement in Russia towards aethism, nihilism, and rationalism and he uses Ivan as a vehicle to convey these thoughts. For some context, Dostoyevsky was an extremely devout Christian even though he was doubtful by nature. In this chapter he tests his ideas and uses his book as a soundboard for his doubts and doctrines, while using the literary device of a story within a story. 

The other parable I really liked was the parable of the onion. I'll always remember this story because of its simplicity but also its significance. In the story, a woman who has been wicked all her life ruins her chances of going to heaven because she cannot remember any instance where she showed kindness, but in reality there was an instance where she gave a beggarly woman an onion. The woman is burning in a lake of fire. The woman's guardian angel makes a wager with God in that the guardian angel can take the same onion and pull her out of the lake, she can come to Paradise, but if the onion breaks, then the woman must stay where she is in the lake of fire, or hell. The angel then tells the woman to grasp the onion to be pulled out of the lake, but just as he pulls ehr out, when other sinners in the lake see her, they hold her so they can be pulled out the lake with her. But because she is a wicked woman, she began kicking the other sinners and the onion broke. So she is burning in the lake to this day. 

This is a story of how doing one good deed, whether intentional or not, can be a source of salvation in a person who's lifetime has been filled with wickedness. A single act of love can change the fate of one's life, and shows that whoever gives someone an onion, or does an act of good, is on the right path. 

The book's plot is simple: be careful of what you say and do! All the signs point to Dmitri as the murderer because he hates his father and has even said that he wants to kill him, for good reason as well because of the whole romance plot and the inheritance scheme. But, he makes his innocence seem so trustworthy that one cannot have any inch of doubt that he is not the murderer. He makes a case that is so convincing, and through exploring his psychology and his torment we can see that Dmitri is a flawed character on a path towards goodness. We as the readers know who did the crime as it's pretty obvious, but what was the most breathtaking was the moment during the recount of the narrative in both the prosecutor and defense's closing speech. Everything that the prosecutor says could be true, but so can everything of the defense's. Dostoyevsky makes the point to paint that every story has two sides, that human beings can be so multi-facted and complex. It is so easy to look at the obvious facts of the murder and the events that occured during that night, with Dmitri's actions at face value, but what was really shocking was the defense counsel's speech that was mindblowing because it analyzed Dmitri's motivations through all angles in a way that showed he could not have been the murderer. And just when we think that the defense will win, the ending is rather unfortunate for Dmitri but also uplifting, as he becomes a chanced individual and paints him as a symbol of faith and spiritual change. The climax was definitely during the trial, and it kept me on my toes. But do be warned that it is going to be 500 pages in before the actual drama happens, and the rest before is spent on characterization and philosophical and psychological arguments. Both of these are done spectacularily. 

I can't stress enough that this is a complete masterpiece. But I will admit that it's not for everyone because Russian novels are known for being dense, lengthy, and notoriously hard to read. I speak from firsthand experience. But if you can get past the initial intimidation there is a wonderous world to be discovered and the answers to so many of the biggest questions and mysteries in life pondered about that it is well worth the effort. I will end this review with the following quote: 

“Love is such a priceless treasure that you can buy the whole world with it, and redeem not only your own but other people's sins. Go, and do not be afraid.”

The message is: be kind. A single act of love can change the world. But this is only a tidbit of wisdom from this monster of a book...I implore you, go read it!