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.

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

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.

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

Maybe you need a better translation?

One time when SparkNotes is more than justified: Dostoyevsky

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

This is the literary criticism I come to r/books for

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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).

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?

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.

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.

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

I’m excited to get into the juicy parts!

yes possibly

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.

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

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

we got this

that’s quite the hot take

why is he so famous then?

crime and punishment is next up for me

i will continue to use spark notes

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

that would b v helpful

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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