Why this book:  I had already read it twice before, but it was selected by my reading group and I was very willing to read it again. This time I read  (I believe for the first time) an unabridged version which was also a new and very good translation ( by McAndrew). Also, I enjoyed reading the book WITH the Cliff notes. The book is rather long – nearly 1000 pages – so after each of the ‘books,’ into which the novel is divided, I reviewed the Cliff notes summaries and interpretations.  I recommend this for anyone reading a long classic.

My Impressions:  There is so much to this book.  But essentially I believe it is a look at human nature and spirituality within the context of a so-called murder mystery in mid-nineteenth century Russia.  Dostoyevsky was clearly also writing for a Russian audience, and much of the book was a commentary on issues that were current in Russia at the time. 

Much wiser and more articulate reviewers than I have studied and reviewed this book, but I offer a couple of my impressions that may be of interest.  This book was the culmination of Dostoyevsky’s life as a writer, and through it he sought to express  his ideas on spirituality and how we get along and live together in our communities.    I believe Dostoyevsky created a type of  ‘spiritual heirarchy’ in the book, with Father Zossima at the top, along with our protagonist Alyosha who aspired to Zossima-like wisdom and faith.  After Alyosha, it would be interesting to debate who would be next, since all others are distinguished mostly by their character flaws, though all have redeeming qualities.   But briefly, brother Dmitri is driven by his passions and emotions – representing the passionate life without the practical wisdom that reason can provide as a governor.   Ivan is driven by a keen intellect and a very analytical nature – representing the thinker, but with insufficient passion, or emotion, and no ‘spiritual grounding.  And Smerdyakov,  the bastard, is driven by his resentment and need for respect and as well as revenge.

Common to nearly all novels that seek to address the breadth of human nature, ‘love’ is a key theme, and we see it in The Brothers Karamazov in its many manifistations – from the lustful, to the romantic to the spiritual.  The story focuses on about 3 or 4  days in the lives of  four half-brothers, sons of a manipulating old moral reprobate.  At the end of these few days, the father is found murdered, and it is assumed that one of the brothers killed him.   The majority of the book takes place in these 3 or 4 days, and Dostoyevsky develops the characters of the four brothers through their interactions with each other and some of the lesser characters of the book.   The investigation and trial take place a couple of months later and make up perhaps the final quarter of the book.   In the trial, Dostoyevsky further develops and explores the main characters of the book, by allowing us to see their responses to the mulit-layered stresses of the trial.    Within the context of the trial, the community and culture come directly and explicitly into the lives of the protagonists, and we see some of them rise to the challenge, and others crumble.

A book which examines love in its many manifiestations will obviously include women.  The 19^th century, male-dominated Russian perspective that Dostoyevsky represents is clearly ambivalent about women – there are some strong  women,  but they are all supporting characters.   Grushenka,  the sexy and manipulating  seductress for whose affections old Fyodor and his oldest son Dmitri compete is powerful, passionate, clever, but conflicted.  Katarina is the romantic idealist, in love with Dmitri who doesn’t love her, loved by Ivan who she doesn’t love.   As Dostoyevsky explores the minefield of romantic love we see passion and turmoil, moments of ecstasy, but no lasting happiness.   This we see  in contrast with the more selfless spiritual love of Alyosha and Father Zossima.

I continue to think that this book is a great book for exploring human nature and values – but it takes a thoughtful and mature reader, and one who is willing to explore these  issues through a 19^th century Russian lens.   I look forward to embarking on the adventure of reading it again, but with the right partners.