"The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky: Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov is a scoundrel. A contemptible human being, Fyodor Pavlovitch is an unrepentant sensualist, living solely for the fulfillment of his own sick pleasures. A puny, weak buffoon of a man, he married his first wife for her money, being the unlikely benefactor of her independent spirit and a willingness to spite her family. Her bold, bizarre choice of spouse proved to be imprudent, as Fyodor Pavlovitch rewarded her with a miserable existence. The loveless union produced one son, Dmitri, before Fyodor Pavlovitch's repugnant character eventually drove her away, sending her into the arms of a destitute divinity student where she died of either typhus or starvation, depending on which rumor is believed.
Fyodor Pavlovitch seemed to revel in his wife having left him, using it as yet another excuse for irresponsible carousing. With his wife's passing, he completely abandoned the care of his son in favor of unchecked debauchery. He soon took a second wife, a beautiful young girl who bore him two more sons, Ivan and Alexey, before her husband's despicable conduct carried her gentle soul to an early grave. The two younger Karamazovs were likewise forsaken in Fyodor Pavlovitch's wanton pursuit of immorality. Thanks to the kindness of the family servants, Grigory and Marfa, and other familial acquaintances, the three boys are provided for, although they're split up at an early age and take decidedly different paths to adulthood.
Dmitri inherited many of his father's disreputable qualities. He, too, is a born sensualist, with fiery passions for wine, women, and song. His antics bring an end to his military career. But, unlike his father, he's a strong individual with a noble, compassionate heart. Dmitri desperately wants to be a better man.
Ivan, the middle son, excelled at school and gained modest fame writing for journals, penning essays questioning theology and the Russian church. Ivan is a staggering intellectual who questions everything. His belief in God is shaken when he can't reconcile a loving supreme being inflicting such pain on its creations, especially innocent children.
Alexey, often referred to by his nickname Alyosha, is as pure as his father is corrupt. He has a deep and sincere love for his fellow man and an unwavering belief in God. He returns to his home town and enters the local monastery, coming under the tutelage of the elderly Father Zossima, a monk known far and wide for his almost miraculous powers of faith.
Fyodor Pavlovitch is also rumored to have fathered a fourth son with a retarded woman known throughout the village as "Stinking" Lizaveta. The pitiable woman crawled onto the Karamazov estate and died during childbirth. While it's never proven that Fyodor Pavlovitch is the father, he was heard drunkenly boasting that even a woman such as Lizaveta could be seen as desirous. Grigory and Marfa care for the child as their own and christen him Pavel. Of course, the townspeople are quick to call him Pavel Fyodorovitch, or "son of Fyodor," a jest Fyodor Pavlovitch finds amusing. He even goes so far as to bestow the child the surname of Smerdyakov, derived from the Russian word for "stink." Smerdyakov, who suffers from epilepsy and grows into a bitter, angry young man, eventually becomes Fyodor Pavlovitch's personal cook and servant.
Since his mother was from wealth, Dmitri was the only one of the Karamazov brothers to grow up believing he had property and that he would be of independent means upon coming of age. This led to a lot of the irregular behavior that had him severely in debt by the time he reached adulthood. When he first goes to petition his father about his rightful inheritance, Fyodor Pavlovitch appeases him with small amounts of money, just enough to send Dmitri away to continue his questionable lifestyle. Dmitri comes to realize his father is merely stringing him along and returns once more to claim his fortune, only to have Fyodor Pavlovitch inform him that there is nothing left of his inheritance. In fact, Fyodor Pavlovitch insists that Dmitri actually owes him money. Needless to say, Dmitri is infuriated. He knows that Fyodor Pavlovitch is holding out on him, and he intends to get what is rightfully his.
The situation is exasperated thanks to the presence of a femme fatale named Grushenka who has stolen the heart of both father and son. Dmitri wants money so he can pay off a serious debt to his betrothed, Katerina Ivanovna, and run off to start a new life with Grushenka. Fyodor Pavlovitch wants to keep all his money for himself so he can entice Grushenka into marrying him. At his wit's end, Dmitri contacts his brother Ivan, who he barely knows, for help. The brothers share a common concern. If Fyodor Pavlovitch were to marry Grushenka, she would be next in line to inherit the old idiot's money, leaving the sons in the cold. Ivan returns at once to help mediate the affair. And with Alyosha having joined the monastery the previous year, the three Karamazov brothers are united for the first time in their lives.
As a joke, Fyodor Pavlovitch proposes he and Dmitri settle their differences in the presence of Father Zossima, suggesting the holy man might have a calming influence on their contentious dispute. Dmitri surprisingly accepts the offer. Alyosha is horrified they'll embarrass him in front of his elder, but the kind Father Zossima graciously offers to assist his pupil's family in any way possible.
At first, Ivan takes center stage at the meeting, reluctantly getting involved in a theological debate with a few of the assembled monks. Ivan asserts that without God, or the belief of immortality as the reward for a virtuous life, all things are lawful. Dmitri seems to latch onto the idea. The gathering quickly deteriorates from there, with Fyodor Pavlovitch behaving in his usual foolish manner, inciting Dmitri to lose his temper and shout, "Why is such a man alive?" In the midst of the chaos, Father Zossima silently bows down at Dmitri's feet in an ominous harbinger of things to come. I don't want to reveal too much of the plot, but let's just say ol' Fyodor Pavlovitch might want to invest in a helmet.
Published in 1880, "The Brothers Karamazov" is Dostoevsky's final novel. He actually intended to continue the story in future works, but he never got the chance, dying in 1881 at the age of 59. He definitely left on a high note. This is a book of profound depth. The edition I read checks in at a crisp 702 pages. Bring a lunch. An omniscient narrator relates the story after the fact, telling it in four parts, with each part containing three books subdivided into chapters. A three- chapter epilogue ties everything up in the end. And that, my friends, is a novel. You can also use it to crack walnuts or ward off intruders.
Dostoevsky puts all those pages and chapters to good use, constructing a remarkably complex tale exploring man's true nature and the existence of God. He also continues to express the idea of spiritual redemption through suffering, a concept first glorified in his earlier masterpiece, "Crime and Punishment." The three brothers each represent a different aspect of man, with Dmitri being emotional, Ivan intellectual, and Alyosha spiritual, and each suffers his own unique crucible. Aside from the emotional anguish of his relationships with Katerina Ivanovna and Grushenka, Dmitri is placed on trial for his very life. Ivan collapses mentally when confronted with the harsh reality of his philosophical ideals. And Alyosha's faith is tested when he witnesses the all too common death of his holy mentor.
The brothers' plights are augmented by a memorable cast of supporting characters, each worthy of their own novel. Heading the list is Katerina Ivanovna, Dmitri's fiancee, who has a bit of a distorted view of love. Her relationship with Dmitri is based on humiliation and shame. Neither is in love with the other, but both feel bound to one another through their own weaknesses in character.
Lise Hohlakov is a young invalid girl who seems to only experience happiness in suffering. She professes her love for Alyosha when he's safely tucked away in the monastery, but she breaks off the engagement once Alyosha leaves the order and her dreams have a chance of becoming reality. She later declares her love for Ivan, a ridiculous gesture doomed to failure. She's a clear counterpoint to Dmitri's suggestion that man desires to feel joy.
Snegiryov is a discharged military captain struggling to make ends meet with his family. When he gets involved with a scheme of Fyodor Pavlovitch's to possibly imprison Dmitri for outstanding debts, the combative Karamazov brother publicly thrashes the poor man, dragging him around the streets by his beard. Snegiryov's young son, Ilusha, witnesses the incident and is emotionally scarred, leading to his own tragic demise.
Ilusha's classmates, who once teased and tormented him, become his friends with a little guidance from Alyosha. Kolya Ivanovitch Krassotkin is the leader of the boys. He's a precocious, intellectual lad, if somewhat calculating. He represents the new Russia, ripe with fresh ideas and philosophies but little knowledge of actually employing them to be a compassionate, caring human being.
Without question, though, the best character, and a true 70 proof icon, is Ivan Karamazov. Ivan is responsible for three of the book's most memorable chapters. The first is titled "Rebellion" (Book Five, Chapter Four), in which Ivan explains to Alyosha why he finds it so difficult to believe in God, going into excruciatingly graphic detail about the cruelty of man. The subsequent chapter, "The Grand Inquisitor" (Book Five, Chapter Five), is Ivan's original poem about a 16th-Century priest's confrontation with Christ. The Inquisitor condemns Christ for granting man free will, the ability to choose between good and evil, claiming it's an overwhelming burden for mortal man to carry. "The Devil. Ivan's Nightmare" (Book Eleven, Chapter Nine) finds Ivan on the brink of insanity after his logical mind languishes in trying to make sense of existence. And Ivan later speaks perhaps the best line of dialogue ever written when, upon reaching the limits of mental strain, he suddenly blurts out, "Why, why is everything so stupid?" (Book Twelve, Chapter Five). I couldn't have said it better myself.
Every man, woman, and child on this planet should devote their lives to the contemplation of one simple question: Why? In "The Brothers Karamazov," Dostoevsky assaults the mystery head on, producing an unrivaled work of genius. It's the best book I've ever read.
Hurrah for Karamazov.
RATING: 