The Brothers Karamazov

Name: The Brothers Karamazov
Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Brothers Karamazov is the final novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It is a story of patricide, murder, and moral and spiritual redemption. The novel follows the lives of three brothers, Dmitri, Ivan, and Alyosha Karamazov, and their father, Fyodor Karamazov. Fyodor is a wealthy landowner who is known for his debauchery and lack of moral responsibility. He has three sons from two different women, and he treats them all differently. Dmitri is the eldest son and is passionate and impulsive. He is in love with a woman named Katerina, but his father is determined to marry her off to someone else. Ivan is the middle son and is a rationalist and intellectual. He is deeply troubled by the moral and spiritual questions of life. Alyosha is the youngest son and is a spiritual seeker. He is devoted to his spiritual mentor, Father Zosima, and is determined to follow his teachings. The novel follows the brothers as they struggle to come to terms with their father's behavior and their own personal issues. As the story progresses, a murder is committed and the brothers are all implicated in the crime. The novel culminates in a trial where the brothers must face the consequences of their actions. In the end, the brothers are reconciled and Alyosha is able to find spiritual redemption.

By Fyodor Dostoevsky · First published 1879 · Genre: Philosophical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Drama · 60 chapters · 350,533 words

First lines

-"And have done for our Mitya." Very early, at nine o'clock in the morning, five days after the trial, Alyosha went to Katerina Ivanovna's to talk over a matter of great importance to both of them, and to give her a message. She sat and talked to him in the very room in which she had once received Grushenka. In the next room Ivan Fyodorovitch lay unconscious in a high fever. Katerina Ivanovna had immediately after the scene at the trial ordered the sick and unconscious man to be carried to her house, disregarding the inevitable gossip and general disapproval of the public. One of the two relations who lived with her had departed to Moscow immediately after the scene in court, the other remained. But if both had gone away, Katerina Ivanovna would have adhered to her resolution, and would have gone on nursing the sick man and sitting by him day and night. Varvinsky and Herzenstube were attending him. The famous doctor had gone back to Moscow, refusing to give an opinion as to the probable end of the illness. Though the doctors encouraged Katerina Ivanovna and Alyosha, it was evident that they could not yet give them positive hopes of recovery.

What this Textopian page supports

The Brothers Karamazov is listed on Textopian as a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, dated 1879 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky
Date: 1879 CE
Language: English
Genres: Philosophical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Length: 350,533 words
Structure: 96 chapters, 5,260 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering The Brothers Karamazov?
How does this novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Philosophical Fiction first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Philosophical Fiction — The Brothers Karamazov is a philosophical novel that explores the moral and spiritual questions of life, death, and the existence of God.
Realistic Fiction — The Brothers Karamazov is a realistic novel that portrays the lives of the Karamazov family and their struggles with faith, morality, and justice.
Drama — The Brothers Karamazov is a dramatic novel that follows the lives of the Karamazov family and their struggles with faith, morality, and justice.
Mystery — The Brothers Karamazov is a mystery novel that follows the investigation of the murder of Fyodor Karamazov and the subsequent trial of his sons.