The Brothers Karamazov

There is far too much in this book for a simple mind like mine to comprehend. As a straight read it frequently drags like molasses. For this I'd give it two stars. Many of the characters are deeply unlikeable, including at least one, and maybe two, of the brothers Karamazov. For them I'd give it two stars. But The Brothers Karamazov is far greater than any of this superficial stuff. I'm an uneducated lump, so I could only discern it vaguely and remotely. In fact, I had to read Nicholas Berdyaev's “Dostoevsky” to even begin to discern what Dostoevsky was getting at. That book itself was at least 90% over my head, an immensely difficult read, but the 10% I did comprehend shone a light on Dostoevsky and at last I was able to see a little into the vast depths of TBK. After all that, can I say I enjoyed it? Absolutely not. It's a mission to read. It is not light entertainment for a wet weekend. But it might be one of the greatest books I've ever read.

Desengane-se quem pensa que “Os irmãos Karamázov” é uma narrativa linear e de fácil leitura e interpretação. Trata-se de uma obra longa e pesada, mas que em nada diminui a grandeza e genialidade deste romance.

O livro desenrola-se ao longo de doze livros, em que o enredo se torna cada vez mais cativante e onde se disserta sobre importantes temas filosóficos, sobre religião, livre-arbítrio, moralidade mas também sobre a Rússia czarista e as fragilidades das suas gentes e dos seus sistemas.

Foi dos livros que mais me cativou à medida que ia avançando na sua narrativa, e que se tornou nas leituras mais importantes (e até educativas) que fiz recentemente.