Dostoevsky's Masterpiece

The inspiration for this post comes mainly from my reaction to The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. This novel gives an in-depth perspective into the personalities of three brothers and their scandalous father. The story offers the reader scenarios that call to mind questions involving deep spiritual and personal matters. It is a novel ideal for anyone who is A.) very fond of reading and B.) enjoys stories that stimulate thoughts about life. The story was engaging and very unique because it offers “what many have considered the strongest argument against the existence of God,” this phrase comes from the back cover of the Barnes and Noble Classics edition of the story. The novel is very interesting in that, after delivering this argument against God via the ever critical-thinking character Ivan Karamazov, Dostoevsky also affirms the value of faith and Christ-like virtues represented by the faithful youth Alyosha Karamazov. I really enjoyed this novel because it explored religion, psychology, human nature, and philosophy through strong and memorable characters. Lust, greed, atheism, ambition, faith, child abuse, and inherent goodness in humanity are all subjects that are addressed in this gripping novel.

A very interesting idea in the novel which is repeated multiple times is that “we are all responsible for one another.” I am not a philosopher, so I will not delve too deeply into this topic, except to say that after reading it can really make a persona reevaluate his/her view of society on a local or global scale. One can argue that such a statement might not be a realistic view, but I thought it was an interesting thing to read.

Dostoevsky ultimately delivers hope and affirms the value of positive memories in a person’s life and also addresses the effects of negative experiences on an individual. The power that positive memories can have for us is communicated very well by the story. They could be our saving grace in even in the most trying times. The characters portrayed in the novel can represent types of people found in any society. Dmitri Karamazov is a bitter sensualist, Ivan is a cynical intellectual, and Alyosha is an honest and devout Christian. They are all sons of Fyodor Karamazov, known for creating scandals and engaging in debaucheries. A rivalry between Fyodor and the eldest son Dmitri causes trouble for everyone else in the family as they compete for the favor of a woman, consciously manipulating both of them. The novel has enough drama for a modern-day television miniseries, but the deeper subjects about life that are involved in the story make it a definite classic.