I decided to take a step back from political books for the month of January and reread my second favorite book of all time (Les Miserables being the first). And sure enough, The Karamazov Brothers did not disappoint. Except for the scriptures and Les Miserables, no other book has left such an indelible imprint on my worldview or given me so much to think about. I am indebted to Dostoevsky (and indeed Avsey's excellent translation) for opening up new vistas of possibilities and perspectives.
The intensity, passion, and raw insights into the human psyche in the Karamazov Brothers are nearly overwhelming. Yet what makes this feat the more impressive is that Dostoevsky explores such important subjects comprehensively without exhausting or boring the reader. Despite being over 1,000 pages, the novel never feels drawn out, ponderous, or forced. Instead, important insights into life are interwoven with an intriguing plot centering on the murder of Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov. Dostoevsky perfectly balances story with study, using well-developed characters to explore subjects the author has clearly thought considerably about. The Brothers Karamazov is Dostoevsky's final work, and though he intended to write a sequel, the book can stand on its own.
The brothers referred to in the title have little interaction with each other prior to the events in the book. Their father, "an eccentric, a type not uncommon however, not only worthless and depraved but muddle-headed as well, yet one of those whose muddle-headedness never stops them from making an excellent job of their business affairs," is what brings the three sons into contact with each other and their opposing worldviews. The eldest, Mitya, is compulsive, passionate, irrational, jealous, and accusing his father of depriving him of his inheritance. Ivan is cynical, cold, and inwardly angry towards God more than any man. And Alyosha, the great protagonist of the novel, is young, yet honest with himself and with the world; this honesty does not always heal or assuage however. While each was reared outside of their father's home, all now find themselves in the same small town in Russia in the presence of their father, until his murder.
I would love to characterize some of the other key figures in the book, such as Iluyshechka, Smerdyakov, and the Starets Zosima, but I simply do not have time. Every character Dostoevsky introduces provides crucial insights into the plot and into human nature. I love his descriptions of their thoughts, feelings, and discussions. (Both Hugo and Dostoevsky excel in their character descriptions, and I believe it is this skill that most endears me to their works.) I do not wonder that Sigmund Freud called this book "the most magnificent novel ever written."
A few central questions really stand out. First, what is the role of suffering in mortality? Second, how do we overcome sin and guilt? Third, what is good? What is truth? How do we measure morality? Finally, how can we serve our fellow man? Dostoevsky does not explicitly ask or answer any of these questions. Instead, his novel provides fertile ground for personal pondering on these subjects. In that sense, this is a deep book and is perhaps not suitable "light reading." But I have appreciated this chance to stop and be a little more honest with myself about who I am and who I wish to be.
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