jbowling's Notes
2026
The Brothers Karamazov
Deluxe Edition
By Fyodor DostoevskyBeen wading through this one for a while. It was intimidating honestly for me to start one of the greats (written in the late 19th century) and actually my first time reading a novel by one of Russia’s most influential authors. I was happily surprised to find it’s not a difficult read at all, with a very compelling story. Long, sure, and many of the extended monologues take time when I just stop to think (lucky for me, this now includes stopping and writing here so I remember), but the way Dostoevsky crafts moments that provide deep insight into the human experience, attitudes, desires, and beliefs is incredible. It’s no wonder Freud cited this work as informing and illustrating some of his theories on the central tenants of human psychology.
In the first third or so, one of the key things I’ve reflected on is religious beliefs and what drives them. The characters tease apart faith and the systems they uphold in similar ways that I have personally. I’m not religious (despite attending Catholic school for a decade) and it shocks me that though the world has changed so dramatically since the era of its writing, the discussions still ring true and I find myself aligned with the take on people’s “need” for God, regardless of whether or not it’s just a human fabrication. The visceral depictions of abuse in one monologue from Book V where Ivan repudiates God by saying he refuses to accept a world built on the suffering of innocent children crystallizes part of my broader view.
Similarly, the “Karamazovian depravity” they discuss, largely related to Fyodor (the father), has made me reflect myself on the pull between doing what’s right and creates more long-term satisfaction, and what’s easy or creates short-term inauthentic “happiness.” The brothers talk about how it’s almost a sickness the Karamazovs have in them, but to the reader, or at least to me, it’s clear that it exists in all of us in one way or another.
I’ll update as I read more!