by Fyodor Dostoevsky, 1880
I got this book a long time ago out of a Little Free Library. It’s 936 pages long. I finally took the time to read it this summer because the ‘Faith and Fiction’ guy on IG said, “It’s the greatest defense of Christianity in all of literature…wildfire of a book…within this wildfire, all 3 brothers are burning in totally different directions and it is that intensity that keeps the pages turning…every argument and doubt thrown at Christianity…God is the only answer…absolute certainty and pure brilliance…greatest work of fiction of all time and it points its fingers directly at our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Well, that convinced me to finally read it.
It is set in Russia in the late 1800’s. It concerns 3 brothers of a horrible person, Fyodor Karamazov. The oldest boy, Dmitry, has a good heart and deep passions, and desperately loves a woman, Grushenka. He spurns his first love, beautiful Katerina, for Grushenka. The problem is, his despicable father is also in love with Grushenka, and has offered her 3000 rubles if she will marry him. Dmitry is overcome with jealousy and hatred. Katerina knows he is in love with Grushenka. She gives him 3000 rubles ostensibly to send to some relatives of hers in Moscow, but he takes the money and spends it on a few days of partying with Grushenka. Dmitry desperately wants to repay Katerina and he wants 3000 rubles from his father, which his father rightfully owes him, but his father will not give it to him.
What happens is the despicable father ends up dead, the 3000 rubles ends up stolen, Dmitry is there on the scene with blood on his hands, and ends up arrested for the crime, tried, and convicted, despite the brilliant defense lawyer.
Alexei (Alyosha) is the youngest brother. He is an angel! He loves God and wanted to be a monk, but his beloved mentor tells him he is meant to be in the world. He is the goodness and light in this book.
Ivan is the middle brother. He’s a brooding intellectual and I can’t quite get a read on him. Does he love Katerina, or doesn’t he? Does he believe in God or doesn’t he? He ends up knowing who killed their father (the illegitimate epileptic son, Smerdyakov) because Smerdyakov reveals all to him the night before the trial, and throws the 3000 rubles to Ivan, before hanging himself. Ivan tries to tell the court on the witness stand that it was Smerdyakov, but he has the beginnings of a brain fever and they don’t believe him.
It is a rollicking tail and not as painful to read as Crime and Punishment, but also not as good, I think.
There are many good nuggets I will take with me from this book, which I will add to this book report in the coming months.