The Brothers Karamazov facts for kids

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The Brothers Karamazov

The first page of the first edition of The Brothers Karamazov
Author	Fyodor Dostoevsky
Original title	Братья Карамазовы (Brat'ya Karamazovy)
Country	Russia
Language	Russian
Genre	Philosophical novel Theological fiction
Publisher	The Russian Messenger (as serial)
Publication date	1879–80; separate edition 1880

The Brothers Karamazov (Russian: Братья Карамазовы, Brat'ya Karamazovy), also called The Karamazov Brothers, is the last novel written by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. He spent almost two years writing this book. It was first published in parts in a magazine called The Russian Messenger from 1879 to 1880. Dostoevsky passed away less than four months after the entire book was published. Many people consider it one of the greatest books ever written.

This exciting story is set in Russia during the 1800s. It is a deep philosophical novel that explores big questions about God, what it means to be free, and what is right or wrong. It is also a story about faith, doubt, and thinking, all happening in a Russia that was changing quickly. The main plot of the story is about a mystery involving the death of the father. Dostoevsky wrote much of the novel in a town called Staraya Russa, which became the main setting for the book.

How the Story Began

The Optina Monastery was an important spiritual place in Russia during the 1800s. It inspired many parts of The Brothers Karamazov.

Dostoevsky started making notes for The Brothers Karamazov in April 1878. However, some ideas and themes for the book came from an earlier story he started in 1869 called The Life of a Great Sinner. Another unfinished story, Drama in Tobolsk, is thought to be an early version of the first chapter. It was written in 1874 and tells about a made-up murder in Staraya Russa. In this early story, a soldier named Dmitry Ilynskov was thought to have killed his father.

In October 1877, Dostoevsky wrote in his Writer's Diary that a new story had been forming in his mind. This diary often talked about many topics that later appeared in The Brothers Karamazov. These included the idea of a father's death, rules and laws, and different social problems.

A sad event in Dostoevsky's life changed how he wrote The Brothers Karamazov. In May 1878, his three-year-old son, Alyosha, died from epilepsy. This condition was passed down from Dostoevsky himself. The writer's sadness can be seen throughout the book. Dostoevsky named the hero of the novel Alyosha and gave him qualities he admired most. The sadness of losing his son is also shown in the story of Captain Snegiryov and his young son Ilyusha.

After his son's death, Dostoevsky visited the Optina Monastery. There, he found ideas for many parts of The Brothers Karamazov. He had originally planned to write a novel about childhood. Some parts of the Elder Zosima's life story are based on a text Dostoevsky found at Optina, called "The Life of the Elder Leonid".

Main Characters in the Story

Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov

Fyodor Pavlovich is a 55-year-old man who loves pleasure and acts foolishly. He is the father of three sons: Dmitri, Ivan, and Alexei, from two different marriages. People also say he had another son, Pavel Fyodorovich Smerdyakov, who works for him as a servant. Fyodor Pavlovich did not care much about any of his sons. Because of this, the sons grew up separately from each other and from their father. The relationships between Fyodor and his adult sons are a big part of the novel's plot.

Dmitri Fyodorovich Karamazov (Mitya)

Dmitri Fyodorovich, often called Mitya, is Fyodor Karamazov's oldest son. He is the only child from Fyodor's first marriage. Dmitri is also someone who loves pleasure, much like his father. He often drinks champagne and parties. Dmitri comes back to his family when he needs his inheritance, which he believes his father is keeping from him. He was supposed to marry Katerina Ivanovna, but he breaks off their engagement after falling in love with Grushenka. Dmitri's relationship with his father is the most difficult and often leads to arguments and even violence. This happens as they fight over money and Grushenka. While he gets along with Ivan, he is closest to his younger brother Alyosha, whom he calls his "cherub".

The character of Dmitri was partly inspired by a prisoner Dostoevsky met in Siberia. This prisoner, D.I. Ilyinsky, was in prison for killing his father to get his inheritance, but he always said he was innocent. He was later set free when another man confessed to the crime.

Ivan Fyodorovich Karamazov (Vanya)

Ivan Fyodorovich, sometimes called Vanya, is the 24-year-old middle son. He is the first child from Fyodor Pavlovich's second marriage. Ivan is quiet and keeps to himself, but he is also very smart. His idea that "if there is no God, everything is lawful" is a repeated theme in the book. At first, Ivan doesn't seem to care much for his brother Alyosha, but later their bond grows stronger. He finds his father disgusting and also strongly dislikes Dmitri. Fyodor Pavlovich tells Alyosha that he fears Ivan more than Dmitri. Ivan falls in love with Katerina Ivanovna, but their closeness is complicated by her past connection to Dmitri, and her mixed feelings cause him much pain.

Some of the most famous parts of the novel involve Ivan. These include the chapters "Rebellion" and "The Grand Inquisitor". These sections show the deep debate happening inside Ivan. He struggles between seeing the good in Christian ideas and feeling angry about a world full of pain and suffering. Ivan's rejection of God is based on the very idea of love and compassion. For Ivan, the suffering of children shows that God's world cannot be accepted if we use reason. Dostoevsky took all the examples Ivan gives of terrible things done to children from real newspaper stories and history.

Alexei Fyodorovich Karamazov (Alyosha)

Alexei Fyodorovich, often called Alyosha, is the youngest brother at age 20. He is the second child of Fyodor Pavlovich's second wife, Sofya Ivanovna, making him Ivan's full brother. The person telling the story says Alyosha is the hero of the novel. When the story begins, Alyosha is a novice (a beginner) in the local Russian Orthodox monastery. His strong faith is a contrast to his brother Ivan's atheism (not believing in God). The Elder, Father Zosima, who is like a father and spiritual guide to Alyosha, sends him out into the world. There, Alyosha gets involved with his family's difficult relationships and other people. He always tries to be kind and understanding, helping to make peace, and almost everyone loves him.

When Dostoevsky created Alyosha, he wanted to show young Russian people a positive way to live. Alyosha represents the same desire for a good and caring society that some people found in socialist ideas. But for Alyosha, this goodness is connected to faith in God, belief in the soul living forever, and the Orthodox Christian traditions in Russia.

Pavel Fyodorovich Smerdyakov

Pavel Fyodorovich Smerdyakov is the son of "Reeking Lizaveta," a woman who could not speak and died alone while giving birth to him in Fyodor Pavlovich's bathhouse. The name "Smerdyakov" means "son of the reeking one." People say he is Fyodor Pavlovich's son, but not legally. He was raised by Fyodor Pavlovich's trusted servant Grigory Vasilievich and his wife Marfa. Grigory tried to teach him and give him religious lessons, but Smerdyakov was ungrateful and made fun of him. Once, Grigory hit him hard across the face. A week later, Smerdyakov had his first epileptic seizure. The narrator says that as a child, Smerdyakov liked to hang cats and bury them in special ceremonies. Grigory told him: "You're not human. You're the spawn of the mildew on the bathhouse wall, that's who you are"—a comment Smerdyakov never forgot. Smerdyakov becomes a servant in the Karamazov house, working as Fyodor Pavlovich's assistant and cook. He generally looks down on others, but he admires Ivan and shares his disbelief in God. Even though he is clearly smart, other characters, especially Ivan, Dmitri, and Fyodor Pavlovich, do not realize how intelligent he is.

Agrafena Alexandrovna Svetlova (Grushenka)

Agrafena Alexandrovna Svetlova, usually called 'Grushenka', is a beautiful and strong-willed 22-year-old woman. She has a special charm that attracts men. When she was younger, a Polish officer left her, and after that, a strict, greedy man took care of her. This made Grushenka want to be independent and control her own life. Both Fyodor Pavlovich and Dmitri are in love with her. Their competition for her attention becomes the main reason for their conflict. Grushenka enjoys using this situation for her own fun. Later, she realizes she truly loves Dmitri and feels bad about being cruel. Her growing friendship with Alyosha helps her start a path toward becoming a better person. She shows hidden qualities of kindness and generosity, though her strong temper and pride remain.

Katerina Ivanovna Verkhovtseva (Katya)

Katerina Ivanovna, sometimes called Katya, is Dmitri's beautiful fiancée. This is true even though he openly spends time with Grushenka. Their engagement is mostly about pride for both of them. Dmitri had helped her father pay off a debt. Katerina is very proud and tries to act like a noble person who sacrifices herself. Because of this, she cannot act on her love for Ivan. She constantly creates moral barriers between him and herself.

Father Zosima, the Elder

Father Zosima is an Elder and spiritual guide (starets) in the town's monastery. He is also Alyosha's teacher. He is somewhat famous among the townspeople because people believe he can see the future and heal others. His spiritual status makes some monks admire him and others feel jealous. Zosima provides answers to Ivan's arguments against God and helps explain Alyosha's character. Zosima's teachings guide Alyosha in how he deals with the young boys he meets in Ilyusha's story.

Dostoevsky wanted Zosima (and Alyosha) to show the Church as a positive example for society. The character was partly based on Father Ambrose from the Optina Monastery, whom Dostoevsky met in 1878. For Zosima's teachings, Dostoevsky used ideas from Tikhon of Zadonsk. He also used a simple style from a monk's travel book.

Ilyusha

Ilyusha, sometimes called Ilyushechka, is a local schoolboy. He is a central figure in an important side story in the novel. Dmitri attacks and shames Ilyusha's father, Captain Snegiryov, who is a poor officer. Fyodor Pavlovich had hired Captain Snegiryov to threaten Dmitri about his debts. As a result, the Snegiryov family is shamed.

What Happens in the Story

Book One: A Nice Little Family

The novel begins by introducing the Karamazov family. It tells the story of their past, both long ago and more recently. The book describes Fyodor Pavlovich's two marriages and how he didn't care about raising his three children. The narrator also shows the very different personalities of the three brothers. It explains how they all ended up back in their father's town. The first book ends by describing the special Eastern Orthodox tradition of the Elders. Alyosha has become very dedicated to the Elder at the local monastery.

Book Two: An Inappropriate Gathering

Book Two starts with the Karamazov family arriving at the monastery. They are there so Elder Zosima can help Dmitri and his father settle their argument over money. It was the father's idea, seemingly as a joke, to have the meeting in such a holy place with the famous Elder. Fyodor Pavlovich acts in a way that is clearly meant to insult and provoke others. This ruins any chance of them making peace. The meeting only makes their hatred stronger and causes a scandal. This book also includes a scene where Elder Zosima comforts a woman who is sad because her three-year-old son died. The woman's grief is similar to Dostoevsky's own sadness after losing his young son, Alyosha.

Book Three: Sensualists

An original page of book 3, chapter 3 of The Brothers Karamazov

The third book gives more details about the love triangle involving Fyodor Pavlovich, his son Dmitri, and Grushenka. Dmitri hides near his father's house to see if Grushenka will arrive. His personality is explored in a long talk with Alyosha. Later that evening, Dmitri bursts into his father's house and attacks him. As he leaves, he threatens to come back and kill him. This book also introduces Smerdyakov and his background, as well as the story of his mother, Lizaveta Smerdyashchaya. At the end of this book, Alyosha sees Grushenka shame Dmitri's fiancée, Katerina Ivanovna.

Book Four: Lacerations/Strains

This part introduces a side story that becomes more important later in the novel. It begins with Alyosha watching a group of schoolboys throwing rocks at a sick boy named Ilyusha. When Alyosha tells the boys to stop and tries to help, Ilyusha bites Alyosha's finger. Later, Alyosha learns that Ilyusha's father, a former captain named Snegiryov, was attacked by Dmitri. Dmitri had dragged him out of a bar by his beard. Alyosha soon learns about the other difficulties in the Snegiryov family's life. He offers the former captain money as an apology for his brother and to help Snegiryov's sick wife and children. After first happily taking the money, Snegiryov throws it to the ground and stomps on it before running back into his home.

Book Five: Pro and Contra

In this section, Ivan Karamazov explains and defends ideas about reason and nihilism (the belief that life has no meaning) that were common in Russia at the time. He does this while meeting his brother Alyosha at a restaurant. In the chapter called "Rebellion," Ivan says he rejects the world God created because it is built on suffering. In perhaps the most famous chapter in the novel, "The Grand Inquisitor," Ivan tells Alyosha his imagined poem. This poem describes a meeting between a leader from the Spanish Inquisition and Jesus, who has returned to Earth. The conflict between reason and faith is shown strongly in a long speech by the Grand Inquisitor. He has ordered Jesus's arrest and visits him in prison at night.

The Grand Inquisitor accuses Jesus of giving humans the "burden" of free will. At the end of the Grand Inquisitor's long arguments, Jesus silently steps forward and kisses the old man on the lips. The Inquisitor is shocked and moved. He tells Jesus he must never come there again and lets him go. Alyosha, after hearing the story, goes to Ivan and gently kisses him on the lips. Ivan shouts with joy. The brothers part with affection and respect for each other.

Book Six: The Russian Monk

The sixth book tells the life story of Elder Zosima as he is dying in his room. Zosima explains that he found his faith in his rebellious youth. This happened after he did something he could not forgive to his trusted servant. Because of this, he decided to become a monk. Zosima teaches that people must forgive others by admitting their own sins and guilt before others. He explains that no sin is separate, meaning everyone is responsible for their neighbor's sins. Zosima's ideas are a response to Ivan's arguments against God, which were presented in the previous book.

Book Seven: Alyosha

This book starts right after Zosima's death. People in the town and monastery commonly believe that the bodies of truly holy people do not decay. So, everyone expects Elder Zosima's body not to decompose. It comes as a great shock when Zosima's body not only decays but starts to smell almost immediately after his death. Within the first day, the smell is already unbearable. For many, this makes them question their respect for Zosima. Alyosha is especially sad that Zosima's name is being ruined just because his dead body is decaying. One of Alyosha's friends in the monastery, Rakitin, uses Alyosha's sadness to arrange a meeting between him and Grushenka. However, instead of Alyosha being led astray, he finds new faith and hope from Grushenka. At the same time, Grushenka's troubled mind begins a path of becoming a better person because of his influence. They become close friends. The book ends with Alyosha feeling spiritually renewed. He hugs and kisses the earth outside the monastery and cries deeply. Refreshed, he goes back out into the world, as his Elder had told him to do.

Book Eight: Mitya

This section mainly focuses on Dmitri's desperate search for money so he can run away with Grushenka. Dmitri owes money to his fiancée Katerina Ivanovna. He feels he would be a thief if he doesn't find the money to pay her back before leaving with Grushenka. Dmitri asks Grushenka's helper, Samsonov, for money. Samsonov sends him to a nearby town with a fake promise of a business deal. All this time, Dmitri is terrified that Grushenka might go to his father and marry him because of his father's wealth and big promises. When Dmitri returns from his failed trip, he takes Grushenka to her helper's home. But he later finds out she tricked him and left early. Furious, he runs to his father's home with a brass pestle (a heavy tool) in his hand. He watches his father from the window. He takes the pestle from his pocket. There is a break in the story, and suddenly Dmitri is running away from his father's property. The servant Gregory tries to stop him, shouting "Parricide!" (meaning killer of a father). Dmitri hits him on the head with the pestle. Dmitri, thinking he has killed the old man, tries to help the wound with his handkerchief, but gives up and runs away.

Dmitri is next seen confused on the street, covered in blood, with a pile of money in his hand. He soon learns that Grushenka's former fiancé has returned and taken her to a nearby lodge. The "first and rightful lover" is a rude Polish man who cheats at a card game. When his cheating is found out, he runs away. Grushenka soon tells Dmitri that she truly loves him. The party continues, and just as Dmitri and Grushenka are planning to marry, the police enter the lodge. They tell Dmitri he is under arrest for his father's murder.

Book Nine: The Preliminary Investigation

Book Nine describes the details of Fyodor Pavlovich's murder. It also tells about Dmitri's questioning, where he strongly says he is innocent. The reason for the crime is believed to be robbery. Dmitri was known to have no money earlier that evening, but he is suddenly seen with thousands of rubles shortly after his father's murder. Meanwhile, the three thousand rubles that Fyodor Pavlovich had saved for Grushenka have disappeared. Dmitri explains that the money he spent that evening came from three thousand rubles that Katerina Ivanovna gave him to send to her sister. The investigators are not convinced by this. All the evidence points to Dmitri. The only other person in the house at the time of the murder, besides Gregory and his wife, was Smerdyakov. But he was unable to move because of an epileptic seizure he had the day before. Because of the strong evidence against him, Dmitri is officially charged with the murder and taken to prison to wait for his trial.

Book Ten: Boys

Boys continues the story of the schoolboys and Ilyusha, who were last mentioned in Book Four. The book begins by introducing a young boy named Kolya Krasotkin. Kolya is a very smart boy who says he does not believe in God, supports socialism, and believes in European ideas. Dostoevsky uses Kolya's beliefs, especially in a talk with Alyosha, to make fun of his critics who followed Western ideas. He puts their words and beliefs into the mouth of a young boy who doesn't truly understand what he is saying. Kolya is bored with life and constantly worries his mother by putting himself in danger. As part of a prank, Kolya lies between railroad tracks as a train passes over him. He becomes somewhat famous for this act. All the other boys look up to Kolya, especially Ilyusha. Since the story left Ilyusha in Book Four, his illness has gotten worse, and the doctor says he will not get better. Kolya and Ilyusha had a disagreement because Ilyusha had treated a local dog badly. Ilyusha had fed it a piece of bread with a pin inside, at Smerdyakov's suggestion. But thanks to Alyosha's help, the other schoolboys have slowly made up with Ilyusha, and Kolya soon joins them at his bedside. It is here that Kolya first meets Alyosha and starts to rethink his nihilistic (life is meaningless) beliefs.

Book Eleven: Brother Ivan Fyodorovich

Book Eleven describes how Ivan Fyodorovich affects those around him and how he slowly loses his mind. In this book, Ivan meets Smerdyakov three times. He desperately tries to solve the mystery of the murder and figure out if Smerdyakov, and therefore he himself, had anything to do with it. In their last meeting, Smerdyakov confesses that he faked his seizure, murdered Fyodor Pavlovich, and stole the money, which he gives to Ivan. Smerdyakov acts surprised that Ivan claims to know nothing about it. Smerdyakov says that Ivan was involved in the murder by telling Smerdyakov when he would be leaving Fyodor Pavlovich's house. More importantly, Smerdyakov claims Ivan made him believe that in a world without God, "everything is permitted." The book ends with Ivan having a hallucination. He is visited by the devil, who looks like a lazy former gentleman. The devil torments him by acting out and making fun of Ivan's own thoughts and ideas. Although the devil disappears, Ivan remains confused and talks without making sense. Alyosha is shocked by his brother's condition and tries to calm him, but Ivan's wild talk becomes harder and harder to understand. Eventually, he falls into a deep sleep.

Book Twelve: A Judicial Error

This book details the trial of Dmitri Karamazov for his father's murder. Dostoevsky makes fun of the courtroom drama. The men in the crowd are shown as angry and mean-spirited. The women are shown as being strangely drawn to the romantic story of Dmitri's love triangle with Katerina and Grushenka. Ivan's madness takes full control of him. He is carried out of the courtroom after his attempt to give evidence about Smerdyakov turns into confused raving. The turning point in the trial is Katerina's damaging testimony. Shocked by Ivan's madness, she passionately defends him and gives up her "honorable" approach to Dmitri. She produces a letter that Dmitri drunkenly wrote, saying he would kill his father. The section ends with long and emotional closing speeches from the prosecutor and the defense lawyer. The verdict is that Dmitri is guilty.

Epilogue

The final section begins with a discussion about a plan for Dmitri to escape his sentence of twenty years of hard labor in Siberia. The plan is not fully explained, but it seems to involve Ivan and Katerina bribing some guards. Alyosha cautiously agrees, because he feels that Dmitri is not ready to handle such a harsh sentence. He also believes Dmitri is innocent and that no guards would get in trouble for helping him escape. Dmitri and Grushenka plan to escape to America and work on the land for several years. Then, they want to return to Russia using different American names, because they cannot imagine living without Russia. Dmitri asks Katerina to visit him in the hospital, where he is recovering from an illness, before he is taken away. When she visits, Dmitri apologizes for hurting her. She, in turn, apologizes for bringing up the letter that hurt him during the trial. They agree to love each other for that one moment. They say they will love each other forever, even though both now love other people. The novel ends at Ilyusha's funeral. Ilyusha's schoolboy friends listen to Alyosha's "Speech by the Stone." Alyosha promises to remember Kolya, Ilyusha, and all the boys and keep them close in his heart. He knows he will have to leave them and might not see them again for many years. He asks them to love each other and to always remember Ilyusha. He tells them to keep his memory alive in their hearts and to remember this moment at the stone when they were all together and loved each other. Alyosha then talks about the Christian promise that they will all be together again one day after the Resurrection. With tears, the twelve boys promise Alyosha that they will remember each other forever. They join hands and return to the Snegiryov household for the funeral dinner, shouting "Hurrah for Karamazov!"

Main Ideas in the Story

Faith and Not Believing in God

One of the main ideas in the novel is the difference between true spiritual meaning of the Orthodox Christian faith and new ideas like not believing in God, using only logic, and socialism. Dostoevsky believed these new ideas were not part of Russia's spiritual history. He thought they were trying to destroy it, even though they were becoming popular, especially among young people. This idea was shown in his earlier novels, but in The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevsky clearly shows these two opposing views. He does this through Ivan Fyodorovich and his story of The Grand Inquisitor, and through Alyosha and Elder Zosima, who show a lived Christian faith.

Ivan Fyodorovich, even though he seems to argue against God, is not truly set in his disbelief. A repeated idea in the novel is his thought that without believing in life after death, there is no such thing as being good. He also thinks that if there is no God, everything is allowed. When Zosima hears this idea at the monastery, he doesn't argue. Instead, he suggests to Ivan that since he probably doesn't believe his own soul will live forever, his thoughts must cause him pain. Zosima says Ivan might enjoy his sadness, but deep down, he doesn't believe his own arguments and secretly makes fun of them. He tells Ivan that he hasn't answered this big question, and it's a great sadness for him because it demands an answer. In his interactions with Ivan, Alyosha acts as the loving voice of faith. He knows this faith lives in his brother's soul, fighting against the voice of doubt that later appears as the Devil in Ivan's nightmare. Alyosha says about Ivan, "His mind is a prisoner of his soul. There is a great and unresolved thought in him. He is one of those who don't need millions, they just need to get a thought straight."

Dostoevsky wrote to his editor that he wanted Book V, "Pro and Contra," to show "the beginning of destructive ideas in Russia among young people who are disconnected from reality." He described this as "the rejection not of God but of the meaning of His creation. Socialism has come from denying the meaning of history and ended in a plan of destruction and chaos." In the chapter "Rebellion," Ivan explains why he rejects God's world. He does this in a long talk with Alyosha. He says his disbelief is based on the very idea of universal love and compassion, which is at the heart of Christian faith. The terrible evil in the world, especially the suffering of children, cannot be accepted by a loving heart. So, Ivan feels he must "humbly return the ticket" to God. The idea of refusing love because of love is taken further in "The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor." In a long talk, where the other person (Christ, who has returned) remains silent, the Inquisitor rejects the freedom and spiritual beauty of Christ's teaching. He says it is too much for humans on Earth. Instead, he supports a focus on material things and control, which he says comes from the Devil's Temptations. He believes this is the only realistic and truly caring way to govern people. The Legend is Ivan's own confession of the struggle between "for and against" happening inside his soul about faith.

With Book VI, "The Russian Monk," Dostoevsky wanted to answer Ivan's rejection of God. He did this through the teachings of the dying Elder, Zosima. The dark world of the Inquisitor's logic is placed next to the bright, peaceful stories from the dying Elder and Alyosha's descriptions of his life and teachings. Zosima, even though he is suffering and dying, freely shows his love for those around him. He tells stories about the important moments in his spiritual journey. Alyosha writes down these stories for the future, along with the Elder's teachings on different topics. These include the importance of the Russian Monk, spiritual connection between masters and servants, not judging others, Faith, Prayer, Love, and connection with other worlds. He also talks about the spiritual meaning of 'hell' as the suffering of not being able to Love. Dostoevsky based Zosima's teachings on those of the 18th-century Orthodox saint Tikhon of Zadonsk. He built them around his own idea of what true Christian faith means: that everyone is responsible for everyone else, and that "everyone is guilty before all and for everything, and therefore everyone is strong enough also to forgive everything for others." He knew it was hard to write this in an artistic way. He also knew that the way he wrote his "answer" and its content might not fit with normal conversations or the everyday worries of people at the time.

Freedom and How People Think

Throughout the novel, the idea of human freedom is strongly shown in all the characters and their interactions. This is against any idea that human actions are simply determined by rules or systems. The idea of "physiologism" (reducing human behavior to physical processes) is criticized. This is seen in the repeated mentions of Claude Bernard, who becomes a hated symbol for Dmitri. Dmitri sees Bernard as representing the scientific idea that the human soul can be reduced to simple body processes. For Dmitri, the word 'Bernard' becomes the worst insult. Mentions of Bernard are partly a response to Zola's ideas about how heredity and environment affect people, which came from Bernard's ideas. Zola used these ideas in his series of novels, Les Rougon-Macquart.

The idea of freedom and rejecting a mechanical way of thinking about people is most clearly shown through Dmitri. But this theme is present throughout the entire novel and in almost all of Dostoevsky's other writings.

Writing Style

Dostoyevsky's notes for Chapter 5 of The Brothers Karamazov

Even though The Brothers Karamazov was written in the 1800s, it has many modern elements. Dostoevsky used different literary techniques to write the book. The narrator knows many of the characters' thoughts and feelings, but he also says he is a writer. He often talks about his own habits and personal views in the novel, so much so that he becomes a character himself. Through his descriptions, the narrator's voice smoothly blends into the way the people he is describing speak. He often even shares the characters' most private thoughts. There is no single voice of authority in the story. Besides the main narrator, some sections are told entirely by other characters, like the story of The Grand Inquisitor and Zosima's confessions.

Dostoevsky uses unique ways of speaking to show each person's inner personality. For example, the lawyer Fetyukovich is known for using the wrong words. He might say 'robbed' instead of 'stolen'. He also calls possible suspects in the murder 'irresponsible' instead of innocent. Several side stories give insight into other characters who seem less important. For example, the story in Book Six is almost entirely about Zosima's life. It includes a confession from a man he met many years before. Dostoevsky does not rely on just one source or a few main characters to share the ideas of this book. Instead, he uses many different viewpoints, stories, and characters throughout.

How the Book Influenced Others

The Brothers Karamazov has had a big impact on many famous people for different reasons. People who admired it include scientists like Albert Einstein, philosophers Ludwig Wittgenstein and Martin Heidegger, and writers such as Virginia Woolf, Cormac McCarthy, Kurt Vonnegut, Haruki Murakami, and Frederick Buechner.

British writer C.P. Snow wrote that Einstein greatly admired the novel. Snow said, "The Brothers Karamazov—that for him in 1919 was the supreme summit of all literature. It remained so when I talked to him in 1937, and probably until the end of his life."

Franz Kafka felt he owed a lot to Dostoevsky and The Brothers Karamazov. He called himself and Dostoevsky "blood relatives." Kafka was very interested in the hatred the brothers showed toward their father in the novel. He likely found similarities with his own difficult relationship with his father. He used this theme in some of his works, especially the short story "The Judgment".

The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein is said to have read The Brothers Karamazov "so often he knew whole passages of it by heart." A copy of the novel was one of the few things Wittgenstein took with him to the front during World War I.

Martin Heidegger said Dostoevsky's ideas were one of the most important sources for his early and famous book, Being and Time. Of the two pictures Heidegger kept on his office wall, one was of Dostoevsky.

According to philosopher Charles B. Guignon, Ivan Karamazov, the novel's most interesting character, became a symbol of existentialist rebellion by the mid-20th century. This was seen in the writings of philosophers Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. Camus focused on Ivan Karamazov's rebellion in his 1951 book Rebel. Ivan's poem "The Grand Inquisitor" is one of the most well-known parts of modern literature. This is because of its ideas about human nature, freedom, power, authority, and religion, and also because its meaning is not always clear. The poem is mentioned in English novelist Aldous Huxley's Brave New World Revisited and American writer David Foster Wallace's novel Infinite Jest.

Nobel Prize winner William Faulkner reread the book often. He said it was his greatest literary inspiration after Shakespeare's works and the Bible. He once wrote that American literature had not yet produced anything great enough to compare with Dostoevsky's novel.

In an essay about The Brothers Karamazov, written after the Russian Revolution and the First World War, Nobel Prize-winning author Hermann Hesse described Dostoevsky as not just a "poet" but a "prophet." British writer W. Somerset Maugham included the book in his list of ten greatest novels in the world.

Contemporary Turkish Nobel Prize-winning writer Orhan Pamuk said during a lecture in St. Petersburg that his life changed the first time he read The Brothers Karamazov. He felt Dostoevsky, through his storytelling, showed a truly unique understanding of life and human nature.

Pope Benedict XVI mentioned the book in his 2007 encyclical Spe Salvi.

Soviet leader Joseph Stalin had read Dostoevsky since he was young and thought the author was a great psychologist. His copy of The Brothers Karamazov shows many highlighted parts and notes in the margins that he made while reading. These have been studied by many researchers. Russian president Vladimir Putin has said The Brothers Karamazov is one of his favorite books.

According to the Serbian news agency Tanjug, Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić described Dostoevsky as his favorite novelist. He said: "The Brothers Karamazov may be the best work of world literature." American First Lady Laura Bush has said she admires the novel.

Different Versions of the Book

English Translations

The Brothers Karamazov has been translated from Russian into many languages. However, the novel's many different voices and writing styles make it hard to translate well. Constance Garnett made the first English translation in 1912.

In 1958, David Magarshack and Manuel Komroff released their own translations. In 1976, Ralph Matlaw carefully updated Garnett's work. This updated version was then used as the basis for Victor Terras's helpful book, A Karamazov Companion. Another translation was done by Julius Katzer, published in 1981.

In 1990, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky released a new translation. It won an award in 1991 and received good reviews. Dostoevsky scholar Joseph Frank praised it for being the most true to Dostoevsky's original Russian.

Peter France's Comments

In The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translations, academic Peter France talks about several translations of Dostoevsky's work.

About Andrew R. MacAndrew's American version, he says: "He translates fairly freely, changing details, rearranging, shortening and explaining the Russian to produce texts which lack a distinctive voice."

About Ignat Avsey's translation, he writes: "His not entirely unprecedented choice of a more natural-sounding English formulation is symptomatic of his general desire to make his text English...His is an enjoyable version in the domesticating tradition."

List of English Translations

Here is a list of complete English translations of the novel:

• Isabel Florence Hapgood (1905)
• Constance Garnett (1912)
  • revised and shortened by Alexandra Kropotkin (1949)
  • revised by Manuel Komroff (1958)
  • revised by Ralph E. Matlaw (1976)
  • revised by Ralph E. Matlaw and Susan McReynolds Oddo (2011)
• David Magarshack (1958)
• Andrew R. MacAndrew (1970)
• Julius Katzer (1980, as The Karamazov Brothers)
• Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (1990)
• David McDuff (1993)
• Ignat Avsey (1994, as The Karamazov Brothers)
• Michael R. Katz (2023)

Movies and TV Shows Based on the Book

Film Adaptations

There have been several movies made from The Brothers Karamazov, including:

• The Brothers Karamazov (1915 silent film, now lost, directed by Victor Tourjansky)
• Die Brüder Karamasoff (1921, directed by Carl Froelich)
• Der Mörder Dimitri Karamasoff (1931, directed by Erich Engels & Fyodor Otsep, starring Fritz Kortner, Anna Sten)
• I fratelli Karamazoff (1947, directed by Giacomo Gentilomo)
• The Brothers Karamazov (1958, directed by Richard Brooks, starring Yul Brynner and William Shatner)
• The Brothers Karamazov (1969, directed by Kirill Lavrov, Ivan Pyryev and Mikhail Ulyanov)
• The Brothers Karamazov (1969, directed by Marcel Bluwal)

Television Adaptations

A Russian TV series with 12 episodes was made in 2009. It is thought to be very close to the book. It was shown on Channel One.

The 2013 Japanese TV drama Karamazov no Kyōdai is a version of the book set in modern-day Japan. It was created by Sato Misato, Ouka Shizuka, Takei Aya, Tsuzuki Junichi, Murakami Shosuke, and Satō Genta.

The Open University made a version of "The Grand Inquisitor" in 1975, starring John Gielgud.

"The Grand Inquisitor" was made into a one-hour British TV drama called Inquisition. It starred Derek Jacobi as the inquisitor and was first shown on Channel 5 on December 22, 2002.

A 30-episode drama series called Oulad El Moukhtar ("Mokhtar's Sons") was produced by Nabil Ayouch for Al Aoula in 2020. This version of the book is set in Morocco, with some parts changed to fit the local Moroccan culture.

Images for kids

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  The first page of the first edition of The Brothers Karamazov

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  Optina Monastery served as a spiritual center for Russia in the 19th century and inspired many aspects of The Brothers Karamazov.

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  An original page of book 3, chapter 3 of The Brothers Karamazov

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  Dostoyevsky's notes for Chapter 5 of The Brothers Karamazov

See also

In Spanish: Los hermanos Karamazov para niños