brothers karamazov

Submitted by breitfuture t3_1223stl in books

I had heard by someone that Brothers Karamazov was arguably the best book of all time. So, I checked it out from my college library and have been reading it for a week or so now. I am around 150 pages in and have enjoyed it so far, but many parts are very difficult for me to understand. I am curious if anyone at there has read it and feels they have a good understanding of the book. Sometimes its the concepts that confused me but other times its just the fact that a sentence contains 5 words I have never seen in my life. On a side note, its super annoying that everyone has like 7 different names.

35

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

BinstonBirchill t1_jdopato wrote

If you read more Russian literature you’ll eventually get used to it. Some books have a character list with their name and patronymic which is super useful.

I enjoy expanding my vocabulary, it’s one of the great things about reading, but it definitely takes patience because I never remember what a word means after looking it up only once.

And I highly recommend rereading the great books. Your patience will be rewarded.

29

heyimsickthismorning t1_jdoxq53 wrote

Brothers Karamazov is amazing, but unless you're trying to be a Russian lit scholar, there's no reason to try and understand absolutely everything. You should try your best to keep track of names, but you'll be fine just making reasonable guesses about vocabulary and the names of locations.

26

Adoniram1733 t1_jdsbfst wrote

My wife can do this, I cannot. If I don't understand everything, it makes me want to jump out a window. It takes me months to crawl through hard books, taking notes, underlining, looking up every word.

1

EatYourCheckers t1_jdoo1hd wrote

I've never read this book, but when I started reading Dickens I had a hard time following completely, so I would first read the chapter summary on SparkNotes, then the chapter. You woudl think it woudl take away the enjoyment of the book to know what was going to happen, but it actually helped me enjoy the book because I would catch the puns and things. I read on my kindle, so swapping between book and Sparknotes was easier.

9

GumGuts t1_jdosvm7 wrote

One time when SparkNotes is more than justified: Dostoyevsky

7

breitfuture OP t1_jdooebs wrote

I have been doing the same thing! Except I struggle through the chapter first and then I go to spark notes... maybe I should try your method for my next chapter. The only issue I have with spark notes is that sometimes they are very brief whereas someone on here could maybe explain things in more depth

3

EatYourCheckers t1_jdp7c02 wrote

Yes, maybe try finding out what happens before you read, so you have more brain power to focus on the details. But if you are looking for more in-depth meaning/discussion, I think Sparknotes has discussion question and answers as well. I swear I don't work for them, lol. Also CliffsNotes must be an online thing now? Not sure if free - but that is what i used in the dark ages pre-internet.

2

LFLreader t1_jdqfhpn wrote

I have the same issue, I really look for new vocabulary in every book I read, and on some books I need to get the facts first, then read the book to fill in the details.

1

whoisyourwormguy_ t1_jdsiwwo wrote

Please reconsider using Sparknotes for this book. It spoils the plot of the book that you spent 350+ pages getting to, the part that the narrator hints at throughout the first half. I got it spoiled for me. Watch out!

Also, The P&V translation is closer to his real style but also clunkier and more difficult to read. I switched to the Garnett one and is was so much easier and I flew through the second half of the book, but I did lose some of the style by doing this. The second half of the book also is just easier to read in general, so once you hit the 400 page mark, I think you'll feel more confortable with the writing no matter which edition you read.

1

Key-Lie250 t1_jdplnb6 wrote

just take what you can from it if you're enjoying it, there isn't a test at the end. with russian lit I usually keep a list of characters and their various names or I refer to spark notes character list. helps me a lot.

3

breitfuture OP t1_jdrxcs5 wrote

that’s very true. I just hate reading things that i don’t understand cuz i don’t wanna miss out on stuff but i can always re read it i suppose

2

boxer_dogs_dance t1_jdptd9z wrote

I tend to prefer classic novellas, but it is a brilliant book. If you read on an e-reader, you can tap for definitions to words, which is helpful.

3

ragingliberty t1_jdppwl3 wrote

I’ve read it twice, and I agree, it’s very complex. While it’s not my favorite of Dostoyevsky‘s, it’s his magnum opus. I took Russian literature courses in college, and being part Russian, I understand the patronymics well. I’d suggest following along with the Sparknotes

2

the-underachievers t1_jdpoedr wrote

Yuppp we are both at the same page count, this is my second attempt, i tried in january and similarly to you was getting quite confused, hopefully there is some kind of tipping point soon.

1

CVNLS t1_jdpygw0 wrote

Just finished the book, it took me about two and a half months, so it was a slog, but was worth it. I thought it was a good story, it kept me interested. I read some Gogol and Chekov in between and it does seem the Russians always called each other by their full names. In Brothers Karamazov, you also have nicknames or family pet names. In the beginning it frustrated me to have what seemed like a three page answer with a lot of drama to every question, but I finally fell into the rhythm of the book. I think once you get going things will drop into place and you will start to understand things better especially with Dostoyevsky’s views on religion and bureaucracy.

1

breitfuture OP t1_jdrwxzp wrote

Yes I feel as if i’m starting to hit my rhythm. i just hit lulls in the book where i’m only reading a page or 2 at a time

1

priceQQ t1_jdqnlv7 wrote

It took me four tries to get through it because I found it very hard too. I think the plot is complex enough, and the characters have complex feelings and motivations. It might be richer than what you’re used to (it was for me).

1

breitfuture OP t1_jdrwse9 wrote

This is a very good perspective imo. I feel as though the author really tries to explain the characters in lots of depth but it’s so much information to absorb at once. took me quite a long time to just distinguish the different personality traits of alyosha dimitri and ivan lol

1

priceQQ t1_jdrzf7f wrote

Yea it’s also loooong (at least it was when I first tried to read it at 17).

The Grand Inquisitor is somewhere in the middle and is a stand alone section that originally got me interested, and you see its influence on other works and is one very good reason to read Brothers. There is a similar section in The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy, for example.

1

[deleted] t1_jdr8d0h wrote

I'm reading it now too. I would just keep a character guide handy to keep up with the names. I frequently have to reference a guide when I get confused.

I dont find the vocabulary to be particularly difficult though. Maybe it's the translation?

1

pheathervescent t1_jdra684 wrote

i have read that book almost twice and love it. the first time i was 25 and read 3/4 of the book, but moved around a lot and managed to lose it. i picked it up again about 10 years later and started from the beginning. you will get used to the writing style and it will become less of a slog. there is one scene that made me cry. i still think about it from time to time when i want to relive the heartbreak, haha. i hope you end up liking it and continue down the dostoyevsky path. it’s not a primrose path, but dark and full of humanity.

1

striker7 t1_jdrvvnw wrote

I'm about halfway through right now. I've read a fair bit of Russian lit so the names and language aren't confusing to me, I'm just finding it very dull. Lots of debates and rants about religious concepts which, again, having read a fair bit of these and other works from the period, I just don't find those conversations interesting anymore.

I know the story is still building but so far I've been disappointed, considering how much the book has been hyped.

1

breitfuture OP t1_jdrwcdg wrote

Yes the religion debates can be a lot for me as well

1

anthonyjg12 t1_jdrwiv7 wrote

One of my favorite books. There’s so many characters packed into this book and everyone is given a pretty in-depth storyline. Trying to keep track of everything can be a bit of a challenge. I found myself having to flip back and forth re-reading certain chapters or sections to understand it all. But it’s worth is because the book is so good.

The fact that each characters had multiple names was a bit confusing at first. It helped to just think of them as having legal names and nicknames. I think my copy also had a name reference guide in the front of the book so that might have helped as well.

1

Adoniram1733 t1_jdsb58s wrote

For me, the only way to really enjoy it is to read with pencil in hand. Underline every word you don't understand and look them all up (get your own copy first, haha). I also make notes about names, and jot down questions in the margins. When I don't understand something, I put a question mark next to it, and return to it later to see if I have any ideas. It's like solving a puzzle of sorts.

At the very least, you MUST look up all the words. It's the only way to understand the story. Kindle is great, you can just click for a definition. Kindle is a great way to read public domain books.

I prefer physical books, so I do it the hard way. Look up images of David Foster Wallace's copy of Blood Meridian. That's what my favorite books look like. It's a little like work, but it's worth it.

1

crankygerbil t1_jdth04e wrote

It helped me to read up a brief commentary on Eastern Orthodoxy, so I could understand some of the cultural background. It is a super dense and complex read.

1

LiterarySkeptic t1_jdtol71 wrote

It has some wonderful parts, but overall, I think it is over-rated.

1

demilitarizdsm t1_jdql9wn wrote

I haven't gotten to this one yet but I read crime and punishment for similar reasons and found I wasn't going to get much out of it without a literary assist to decode the symbols. It's like The Godfather or the beetles. Eventually you've got to read it just to say you did or move onto metalworking or raising goats

0

StrawberryFields_ t1_jdoqsb8 wrote

Dostoevsky's writing style is very tedious and does not flow well at all.

−13

captainhowdy82 t1_jdoqzsy wrote

Maybe you need a better translation?

7

twenty-six-sixty-six t1_jdqhvkh wrote

I've tried two translations (McDuff and P&V) and they both kind of sucked

I'll probably just get Garnett or a revised Garnett. Everyone criticizes her but she's usually the most readable, and that's what counts the most for me

1

NoisyCats t1_jdp1w4p wrote

Overrated in my opinion. I found it an absolute slog.

−14

breitfuture OP t1_jdrx1a3 wrote

that’s quite the hot take

1

NoisyCats t1_jdry18h wrote

I think it’s overrated and regardless of what many say it’s not that complex of a plot. It’s made more difficult than needed because each character is referred to by different names and at least after translation, is very poorly written. My opinion. It’s good to have different viewpoints.

−1