Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov

I started this book the day I finished my exams the Saturday before last (10 May). I’m a third through by now.

Intrigued by a referral and rough summary of his broad thematic message and his Grand Inquisitor chapter, I decided to tackle the book. It was an exciting, gripping and yes, intriguing read from the start.

I cannot believe how deranged a family this is. Yes, sometimes his portrayals border on the theatrical (and therefore the unbelievable), but critics are right to credit Dostoevsky for his vivid portrayals of humans. I think what impresses me most is the fact that in varying degrees even the most debauched characters think of the ‘univeral questions’ – God, sin, forgiveness, eternity, life etc.

Before I started the novel I thought I would like Ivan. It is true, I do like the character. He is impressive in his coolly rational manner, his (somewhat pseudo) intellectual qualities and the pathos of his belief-disbelief. But now somewhere deep into the Grand Inquisitor I find him a little… half-baked intelligent, somewhat contradictory, a little crazed, perhaps due to disillusionment (all the pity). Even, amazingly, somewhat annoying – why does he refuse to accept the painful truth? Perhaps he is annoying because he is incomprehensible to me (which, granted, is not very good grounds for feeling annoyed at anyone, or any character).

I thought I’d be neutral with regards Alyosha, but so far I’ve developed a liking for this angelic younger brother. I always had an impression that he was naively sticking to his beliefs, unquestioningly, but how wrong! Alyosha does question. The amazing fact is that despite his own questions and despite his brother Ivan’s doubt-ridden questions about faith that he hurls mercilessly at his own brother (I recall the amazingly frank quote that he loved his brother very much and didn’t want to lose him to the starets, the religious leader), Alyosha doesn’t budge. Such steadfastness deserves admiration.