What I Am Reading

There are few 800 page books that can be described as thrilling from end to end, but Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov certainly is one. Having read several works already by Dostoevsky, and some of them multiple times, I had a pretty good idea what to expect when I began Brothers. It certainly is filled with characters used by the author to explore his ideas on religion, Christianity, and philosophy. Tied into a narrative about a family, a mystery, broken relationships and failed expectations, the book never lets the reader stop being surprised or challenged. There are several sections I could go back and read on their own, such as the famous Grand Inquisitor chapter, which can be explored and examined both within the context of the book and as statements on life’s meaning and purpose.

If you have never read Dostoevsky, Brothers is a good introduction to his style and may be more accessible than Crime and Punishment, though the latter is one of my favorite novels and one I have read more than once. Though it is long, the journey is worth it, and it is a journey I look forward to taking again.

What I Am Reading

I am really enjoying Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, though its taking me longer than I planned to get through it. However, I am trying to be methodical and absorb as many of the important messages in the plot. The book is enormous, not just in size but also scope, as it touches on politics, religion, philosophy and family. I love Dostoevsky, and have a goal of reading all of his work. As a side note, I can recommend the podcast Very Bad Wizards (@verybadwizards). Their recent episode (part 1 of a planned 2 part series) on Notes from Underground is a very interesting analysis of another powerful book from Dostoevsky. And to answer their initial question, I do not think the majority of people have ever read Underground, though I wish more had.