The Brothers KaramazovThe Brothers Karamazov
Score Classic
What it's about
Fyodor Karamazov is a crude, greedy landowner who has neglected his three sons: Dmitri, a passionate, reckless soldier; Ivan, a cold intellectual who doubts God; and Alyosha, a gentle novice at the local monastery. Dmitri and his father are rivals for the same woman and quarrel over money. When the old man is murdered, suspicion falls on Dmitri. The result is part murder mystery and courtroom drama, and part argument about faith, doubt, guilt and whether people are responsible for one another.
Why it's worth reading
It's Dostoevsky's final novel and is often called the greatest novel ever written. It's on the Bokklubben World Library of the greatest books, and its chapter "The Grand Inquisitor" is one of the most famous passages in literature.
You'll love it if you liked
Crime and Punishment
The Idiot
Anna KareninaGood to know
It's very long, and the opening chapters are slow. A modern translation such as Pevear and Volokhonsky's makes it much easier. The murder doesn't happen until about halfway through.
By the numbers
- Readers97 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller37 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #27 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #65 of the 762 classics we rank
- #198 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Crime and Punishment
DemonsThe Idiot
Notes From UndergroundIf you like this, read next
Oscar and Lucinda
The Thorn Birds
The Age of Innocence
The Great Gatsby
Middlemarch
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Quick answers
Is The Brothers Karamazov worth reading?
Yes. It's Dostoevsky's final novel and is often called the greatest novel ever written. It ranks #198 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 83.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Brothers Karamazov about?
Fyodor Karamazov is a crude, greedy landowner who has neglected his three sons: Dmitri, a passionate, reckless soldier; Ivan, a cold intellectual who doubts God; and Alyosha, a gentle novice at the local monastery. Dmitri and his father are rivals for the same woman and quarrel over money. When the old man is murdered, suspicion falls on Dmitri. The result is part murder mystery and courtroom drama, and part argument about faith, doubt, guilt and whether people are responsible for one another.
How long does it take to read The Brothers Karamazov?
About 20 hours (796 pages), or about 6 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Brothers Karamazov?
If you liked it, try Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky or Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.