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May 28, 2017Janice21383 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
What Russian young men were doing in the 19th century, instead of building railroads and improving agriculture. They were writing poetry, agitating for and against their overwhelming, authoritarian society, spending thousands of rubles on "creatures" and, to a greater extent than most will believe, worrying about their souls. There is a thin excuse for a plot, but endless, magnificent talk. TBK is more like a series of connected plays than a book, specifically the plays of George Bernard Shaw. Needless to say, this is not a book to read as an introduction to Russian literature, or even to Dostoevsky. It would also help to know some Russian history, and to understand how their culture is very different to that of western Europe, despite sharing a continent and a skin colour. But if you're a person who wrestles with great moral questions, or wants to understand the heart of our Russian neighbours, The Brothers Karamazov is the book to read.