Review: 'The Brothers Karamazov' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, trans. David McDuff, narr. Luke Thompson

Aaah Russian literature and its downcast men! I'm not sure why I have developed such a love for Russian literature, but I truly have. Its starkness, its hope for redemption, and the conflicted thoughts of the authors themselves, it all echoes within me. I am glad to say that Dostoyevsky fully got me with The Brothers Karamazov. If I could suggest something, do not read the below blurb. I went into The Brothers Karamazov almost entirely blind, only aware of themes but not of plot, and it meant that I could truly, wholly be enveloped by it. So read the blurb at your own risk!

Original Pub. Date: 11/18/1879
Audible Pub. Date: 8/05/2021
Audible Publisher: Penguin Audio

The murder of brutal landowner Fyodor Karamazov changes the lives of his sons irrevocably: Mitya, the sensualist, whose bitter rivalry with his father immediately places him under suspicion for parricide; Ivan the intellectual, whose mental tortures drive him to breakdown; the spiritual Alyosha, who tries to heal the family's rifts; and the shadowy figure of their bastard half-brother, Smerdyakov. As the ensuing investigation and trial reveal the true identity of the murder, Dostoyevsky's dark masterwork evokes a world where the lines between innocence and corruption, good and evil, blur, and everyone's faith in humanity is tested.

This powerful translation of The Brothers Karamazov features an introduction highlighting Dostoyevsky's recurrent themes of guilt and salvation, with a new chronology and further reading.

Classics are classics for a reason. I'm not talking about the Canon here, the books you "should" read. What I mean is simply those books, that despite their age, still hit. That's a Classic for me. It is why Jane Austen will continue to be adapted, to varying results..., and why novels like The Brothers Karamazov continue to strike a chord. Did I expect to care so deeply about the disaster known as the Karamazov family? No. But I did. Because Dostoyevsky is brilliant. For me, the pull of this novel was in its characters, in the way Dostoyevsky draws out nuances through small actions and words, and in the manner in which these characters embody the novel's themes. The crucial divide between faith and reason resonates throughout The Brothers Karamazov and all the characters fall at different points along this fault line. Perhaps the most famous passage from this novel is about one of these conversations around faith, known as 'The Grand Inquisitor', in which Ivan Karamazov questions whether a benevolent God can truly exist if children are suffering. Not only does this expand upon the novel's themes significantly, it is also linked to the author's own experiences. The novel is deeply inspired by the death of Dostoyevsky's 3-year old epileptic son, which suffuses the story with a deep grief yet also a deep love of and hope for the children. While The Brothers Karamazov feels intimidating at first glance, discussing grand themes of timeless importance, it is also a deeply personal novel which can resonate with readers of all times.

Truly summarising this novel feels impossible. Technically The Brothers Karamazov relates to us the events of a few months in the lives of the patriarch Fyodor and his three sons, Dimitri/Mitya, Ivan/Vanya, and Alexei/Alyosha, narrated through the memories of an anonymous eye-witness. It is a tragic story, which nonetheless holds real beauty. While the plot of the novel technically centres on murder, The Brothers Karamazov is really a novel about faith, modernity, and reason.  What is the role of religion in a rapidly modernising world? What is honour and how does it serve you? To what extent do you control your own life? It was especially this last question which really intrigued me, as The Brothers Karamazov seems to argue against letting outside forces define you. Neither your birth, your parents, nor others' perception of you, should be able to alter how you move forward and how you change. Your character is not determined by the way others view you. That still feels radical to me, especially in an age where so much of our lives is presented online for perusal and judgement. 

The Brothers Karamazov feels fresh through its techniques, despite its age. The narrator is in immediate contact with the reader, assuring us that it's all going somewhere, threatening us with future disaster, and admitting that certain things he just didn't remember and therefore won't write down. It makes for truly funny moments, while the eye-witness perspective also makes the events of the novel feel immediate. There is also a key moment in the novel where Dostoyevsky skips forward in time for maybe just ten minutes, which turns out to be crucially important for the rest of the novel. In this slight skip, he creates a tension for the reader which is truly special. It is no wonder, to me, that this novel has continued to provide inspiration to countless of people, even if I would argue that some fans (looking at you, Putin) do not understand it. 

One further thing has to be stated right out and that is that Luke Thompson's narration is absolutely brilliant. I have heard great audiobooks so far, but Luke Thompson delivers a performance here that is next level. He does all the expected things, like clearly differentiate each character through tone and pitch etc, but he also goes above and beyond in a way I haven't heard before. He reads the book with all the available information, using all of Dostoyevsky's clues to bring them alive. If Mitya is out of breath, so is Thompson. If there is a rush of information, a stumbling over words, a softening of the tone, a hidden smile, a smirk, a worry, a concern, you can all hear it in his voice and it is amazing. This audiobook of The Brothers Karamazov is the perfect example of how an audiobook can elevate a reading experience.

I give this novel...

5 Universes!

Despite its 1000+ pages, The Brothers Karamazov is a wholly immersive experience. If you let Dostoyevsky take you by the hand, he will show you marvelous things. And also horribly sad things.