The Brothers Karamazov

Long, slow moving novel about three brothers and their unworthy father in 19th century Russia. Full of philosophical and theological arguments about guilt, atonement, and forgiveness, as well as whether people are better off being happy or understanding truths about God. The last third of the book is a bit of a murder mystery. The characters represent all levels of Russian society and they are operatic in their feelings and their behavior. I feel I would understand this novel better if I started over from the beginning and read it through again–but I need to rest from it first!