The Brothers Karamazov

I realized that I forgot to mention that I finished The Brothers Karamazov! Just after New Years, about six months after I started it, I finished this excellent book. I first decided I wanted to read it about eight years ago after finding it on John Piper's list of "Top 50 Books You Need to Read Before You Die." It's my second book of Fyodor Dostoevsky's to read (the first was Crime and Punishment, which took me two years to complete). It's the story of three very different brothers who share a miserable excuse of a father. The oldest brother, Dmitri, is erratic, highly emotional, and impulsive. The second brother, Ivan, is a complete intellectual. The youngest, Alexey, is mild, starkly honest, and very spiritual. They represent three parts of the human being: emotion, reason, and faith. The story follows the murder of their father, and the ongoing effects of it on the three sons. It includes what many consider the best argument against the existence of God- ironic because Dostoevsky writes as a Christian saved by the blood of God himself.



Dostoevsky's books are hard to read, but they are worth it. He writes deep characters with an understanding of human nature and desire that I haven't read anywhere else. After my time in Crime and Punishment, I decided to make a character tree with each character's name and a phrase describing who they are. I did this before I started reading (my edition had a list of characters and descriptions.) It was absolutely worth the time! I found myself referring to it often. I would encourage you to do the same if you'll give the book a go- you will be glad you did!