Book Reviews: The Brothers Karamazov // Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

When I started writing these reviews years ago I had a specific challenge in mind: Concision. I wanted to write reviews of the books, videogames, and movies I experienced in the most efficient manner possible. So much ink has been spilled about many of these properties. I wanted to focus solely on what new thing I had to add to the conversation if anything. This is why you’ll note some reviews on this blog are only a paragraph or two. The writing is meant to be a deliberate exercise in brevity.

Dostoevsky presents likely the greatest challenge to that initiative. There is just so much to say about his work. To take an initial stab at concisely reviewing his work I have elected to cover two books in one article — by far his most famous novels Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov. Whichever translation you pick be prepared for quite challenging works of dense moral philosophy and drama.

Crime and Punishment was written earlier in Dostoevsky’s career. It was published in 1866 when he was 45 and about a decade out of prison in Siberia. It is the story of a destitute former law student named Raskolnikov who resolves to rob and murder a hateful rich old woman after rationalizing that the world would be better off and he would do great things with her money. At its heart is the age old moral question: Do the ends justify the means? Can it be a net good to do an evil thing if the consequences are used to serve good? Raskolnikov being a contemptible 70th percentile midwit doesn’t serve his argument well. The dude is hard to root for. The supporting cast is great though, especially Raskolnikov’s bro Razumihin and the charismatic police detective Porfiry (who inspired Father Brown, Columbo, and other famous detectives). I love how both of these men see through Raskolnikov’s pretenses.

This book got a lot better the further I got into it. The narrative up to the murder moves at a plodding pace. After the titular crime, we immediately see the ‘punishment’ in the form of Raskolnikov’s guilt. This is where the plot complicates nicely with the introduction of Raskolnikov’s sister and mother and a few colorful side plots. Dostoevsky does an excellent job of dragging your eyes, ears, and nose into the squalid streets of mid 19th century St. Petersburg. Thanks to a nasty gambling addiction the author understands destitution quite well. The most compelling conflict is clearly the inner struggle of Raskolnikov as his idealized materialistic worldview must come to terms with the reality of his actions. Herein lies the heart of Dostoevsky’s religious and moral philosophy, upon which he expounds more complexity and detail in The Brothers Karamazov.

Brothers was published late in Dostoevsky’s life releasing in 1880 just one year before his death. The plot and themes are quite similar to Crime and Punishment. It is the story of three brothers, Alyosha, Dmitri, and Ivan, and their villainous father Fyodor Karamazov. The central conflict is about patricide and again the question of whether or not such a killing can be justified on rational grounds. The youngest brother, Alyosha, is a monk and the author’s representation of an idealized Christian perspective. The middle brother, Ivan, is the atheist and pragmatist. Their conversations and debates make for some of the most compelling prose in all of classic literature. The oldest brother, Dmitri, is the most like his “sensualist” father being stuck in a multi-sided love triangle (love pentagon?) as he betrayed his betrothed Katerina (and btw his brother Ivan is in love with her) to pursue the capricious young girl Grushenka who is also being hotly pursued by his wealthy and disgusting father Fyodor.

It’s a mess, all of it, and like Crime and Punishment it gets deliciously more dramatic the further you get into it. The police investigations and courtroom speeches are a delight to read. The Brothers Karamazov is a longer denser read, asking more of the reader, but giving back more in return. It draws on much of Dostoevsky’s own life experience as well as a real murder drama that occurred in Russia around that time. There are a lot of great moments. I loved Father Zosima the elder and his fascinating life story. For us faithful Christians we have to root for Alyosha the dutiful brother and community shepherd who mentors the poor young boys in his neighborhood. His speech at the end had me in tears. In spite of the atheism lowkey Ivan was one of my favorite characters. His argument against God with Alyosha was brilliant. Way more convincing than some modern “free thinkers.” The moment late in the story when he apparently meets Satan, who turns out to be some weird decadent lower level aristocrat, is super interesting and worth chewing on for a while.

Concision, right. That was the goal here so let me tie it all together:

What unites the two books is the author’s interest in wrestling with the emergent socialist/materialist philosophy of his day and reconciling it with his Orthodox Christian faith. I have to give Dostoevsky credit for not making the books into sermons. It may not be that surprising given his personal life. Dostoevsky himself was a mess with numerous financial and romantic problems throughout his life. He was moments away from being executed by firing squad at one point.

Dostoevsky’s own salty life would make him unsuitable for aggressively pious finger-wagging. Instead both books do an amazing job of taking the argument from the other side — steeping us into the struggles and views of the young rationalist idealists. We see so clearly how indeed the road to Hell is paved with the best of intentions. We can sympathize with Raskolnikov without liking him personally. We can appreciate Dmitri’s passion and Ivan’s well-read logical thinking without respecting either’s dubious choices. This is the root of what keeps these works relevant and fascinating centuries later. Whatever your religious or moral views, these books will force you to contend with their rough edges all while wrapping you up in an engrossing story of memorable characters and their various schemes.

Crime and Punishment is more laser focused on its one core idea. Brothers Karamazov is more wide-ranging in what it chooses to explore. Both represent the author in very particular stages of his life and career. For my money and time, both are extremely worth reading. Start with Crime and Punishment if you plan to read both. Read Brothers Karamazov if you only plan to read one book by the author. In a sense it has everything he wanted to say in his career all nicely structured together. Just don’t plan to zip through it in a weekend.

Grade: A (both)