The Brothers Karamazov
Illustrated edition
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4.1 • 20 Ratings
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Publisher Description
Critics believe The Brothers Karamazov is the last cry of Fyodor Dostoyevsky. This passionate philosophical novel is considered among the most powerful and influential works of world literature. The Brothers Karamazov is Dostoevsky’s deepest contemplation of human existence, which has heavily influenced the existentialist movement lead by Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus in the middle of twentieth century. A complex structure of the novel features motifs of crime, justice, and redemption through suffering that help Dostoevsky develop his major themes including the conflict between faith and doubt, the burden of free will, and the pervasiveness of moral responsibility. The author's unmatched manner of exploring psychology of his protagonists has influenced many thinkers including Sigmund Freud, who called The Brothers Karamazov ‘the most magnificent novel ever written’. Pretty illustrations by Dmitrii Rybalko provide you with new impressions from reading this legendary story.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The depth, complexity, and length of what many consider to be Dostoyevski's best work make it one of the hardest classic novels to bring to audio. The philosophical novel/murder mystery set in 19th-century Russia requires a strong and versatile narrator to keep listeners going for the day-and-a-half-plus duration. Thankfully, narrator Constantine Gregory masters the challenge. In doing so, he manages the omniscient third-person narration by using a pleasant mellifluous tone that invites the listener to relax and approach the text patiently and carefully. The novel also features first-person voices from the large cast of characters, such as Father Zosima, who, naturally enough, argues for the existence of a higher power and Gregory is able to imbue those sections with enough individuality to make them as distinct as the author intended.
Customer Reviews
God this was painful to read…
Meandering, tangents for hours with no discernible end, fake illnesses, nobody has any controls over their emotions and can die from “guilty feelings.” Far too many characters with at least three names each in which the narrator literally excites himself in irritating the reader by free floating between them even in the same paragraph. The insipidity and pretense built up, including women who find it next to impossible to know if they love someone, is ridiculous if not altogether unbelievable. Even for period piece Russia. Sorry Stephen Fry, but you missed the mark on this one. I’ve read Harlequin Romances with better characters, better plots, and far better philosophical engagements. I read the entire thing just so I can say that I didn’t miss anything important. I didn’t.