The Brothers Karamazov Playlist: th-cam.com/video/-hXT6MQxZxg/w-d-xo.html Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thecodexcantina TABLE OF CONTENTS 3:24 Expectations vs Reality 9:00 Author and Publication Info 10:53 Dostoevsky's Gospel 14:00 Russianology 17:17 The Road Ahead
Reading this book now, I am amazed at how deeply and sincerely he reveals the psychology of human nature and how modern everything he talks about. Many things are just prophetic and happen in this age.
Nothing prophetic about it, human nature just doesn't change. We are just intelligent animals driven by hormones but surrounded by more technology over time.
@@lunatico981 atleast for the time being we are just living in a improved version of the ancient world everything we use pretty much the same we are nothing but apes thrown back into the digital Stone Age
Dostoyevsky must have pushed himself to the limits of his psyche, emotions and madness in order to write so humanly compelling as he does in this book. The words he uses to explain and go beyond feelings are better than years in psychotherapy. Edit: I never wanted it to end, either. Although it took me a few chapters and then I was hooked, and then the hook kept getting wilder and wilder. Utterly insane, sad, everything and funny, too. Mind blowing. Thankful to the humble master Dostoyevsky ♥️
H has absolutely soul touching notes about a woman who committed suicide. It’s such deep gaze into something as scary and as sad as ending itself. I definitely agree with you - he is a true literary MASTER.
Reading this book; you can't stop and want to have it finished soon to know how it ends, and at the same time you do not want to finish because you already know that you may not read such good book again. Though it is 200 years old, it feels like it was written yesterday.
İ'm reading it now and have the same feelings. I don't want it to be finished. I am amazed at how deeply and sincerely he reveals the psychology of human nature and how modern everything he talks about. Many things are just prophetic and happen in this age.
@@dianamuslimova6341 hon reader is it easy to read I have fluency in English right from childhood that is no problem heard that hard to understand because text words are too hard or may be to put a dictionary on table to judge meanings pls reply a request from good reader
Hardest thing for me when I read crime and punishment was keeping track of the characters. Maybe if their names were like Jim, Bill, Angie… but the Russian names got me. Especially the fact that one person could be called several different things. Similar to formal/informal pronunciations. But once I finally got past that I could tell who was talking just by the things they were saying. The tension between the characters made the book amazing. The plot is one thing, the drama between the characters and the characters themselves is what makes Dostoevsky such a great author. I just started reading this book, I am excited to see who I meet.
If you read it, when Katerina Ivanova came to beg Dmitry for money to save her father from scandal, did she offer to prostitute herself or merely humble her honor and social status? Could D even make this explicit in his day?
It was an extremely challenging book but also very approachable. Very difficult to describe the Dostoevsky experience but it has it's own flavor and I love it!
This is absolutely a work of art! From the editing to the presentation of the plan for the read through - it was engaging, encouraging AND inspiring! I only *thought* I was hyped before, now I'm over here sliding my Bros K book over to me, ready to roll!
Few things, that especially young people might find confusing about this book (and all other Dostoevsky's great novels) is, first of all, abundance of "family stuff". I suggest you take a piece of paper and write down geniological tree and all the family relationships and names, as this is really a hard part. This guy was born there, his father was this and that, his mother was unknown, and his father was (for example) of military origin, and his sister is X and Y, and she had first husband, who was beating her, but then died, and now she lives with her nephew, and rents house from another nephew and so on, and so forth - a lof of people will quit right there :) Take it as a challenge. At the end of the day, it's not that much. Also combining it with 3 format of russian names, some people may go insane. The second frustrating things is the old Russia religious language and terminology. Very challenging. But just get used to it, its going to be there in probably 2 out of all 9 books.
Its funny the number of "disclaimers" they add for the Christian influence over the book. Those readers who would reject a beautiful work of art because of their personal issues with Christianity are immature.
I have just started with the novel and I am very very excited about it. I have wanted to read it for many years but never got to it until now. I have read several of Dostoyevskis novels and I can say that there is no one greater than him. And this book is going to be my last of it for which I have been preparing for a long time through the reading of previous novels in order to prepare myself for the big event. Thank you for this video and that I have found this channel.
for me that was my first novel of him when I was 25 years old, and it moved me so deeply that to this day, almost ten years later, for me Dostoyevski is The master!!!!!
Fantastic video! I’m so impressed. Great introduction. I just read this but might have to join in because I loved the book so much. I will second your opinion that it’s not hard to read. Tolstoy has my head spinning with names in his long books but I never got anyone mixed up in Bros. K. Thanks for your hard work. Deb
For everyone’s information, this book is free when you sub to audible. I’m on book 3. My only complaint so far I’d the nicknames. He’ll sometimes refer to the boys by several different names and it can get confusing, but I’m loving the book so far
So awesome that you’re loving it! It’s free even for non Audible users too. You can use librivox or Gutenberg for free versions too if you have electronic resources available. Cheers
Here’s a name code that may help: Alyosha / Alexi Ivan Dmitri / mitri/ mitor All brothers have the middle name fyodorovich too so will often hear their nickname followed by this, E.g. Dmitri Fydorovich
Great video guys! I’ve been reading this book for decades and this is the best intro I’ve ever heard. Also your back and forth editing reminds me of a back and forth between alyosha and Ivan. Intense
LOVED THIS BOOK - I recommend reading it twice - I also recommend using a Kindle as there's a lot of references to look up and characters to track (sometimes characters have multiple names - I think it's a Russian thing)
I am loving it but it is taking me 6 months to finish (final 100 pages rn). Can’t imagine reading it again, tho I would love to because it truly is great
I'm watching because I love his books, all of them but reading Brothers K feels like climbing Everest at 71, my age. A recent book about his wife and D's gambling addiction has given me clarity. The book is sitting on bedside table for months. Thank you for this intro.
71 also. Just finished crime and punishment and have brothers on kindle. Trying to get to some of the books I missed (recently did Iliad/odyssey..may never finish Ulysses or moby Dick )
I am currently working on a project developing a musical about Dostoevsky. I know, I know it sounds like an SNL skit but the material is so rich and the challenge so great i could not resist the attempt to suffer through the process. I recently met a young Russian lady who when I told her that I was cast as Dostoyevsky himself looked at me very seriously and said softly, “I am so sorry”. Of course I am doing all sorts of research on the man himself and am slowly working my way through The Brothers Karamazov. So far I have found it the richest source of info about the man himself. I too am a writer and know that any writer who has found his voice is ultimately writing about himself. So the three brothers represent three aspects of D himself which is most helpful in understanding this genius. The musical is entitled ANNA AND FYODOR and looks at his life through the lens of their relationship. It is being developed at The Lambs Club of NYC, America’s oldest theatrical social club. It will be a long, long slog and may never get beyond the development stage. I don’t mind though because the journey as difficult and filled with suffering as it may be is worth the opportunity to learn about human society, my own place in it and grow in spiritual understanding.
Masterpiece, he has this ability to bring all the characters to a point where they have little bits of yourself in some way. Alyosha thinking of Katarena " And the vagueness of his apprehension increases the apprehension itself" So many examples of our beautiful uncertainty it makes you feel a real person.
It is a deeply Christian book. It's not about "religion" not having answers per se. But rather he was a sort of Christian existentialist like Kierkegaard. But good video!
Reading it now. My third attempt. Since my last attempt I’ve learned to love McCarthy and Faulkner. So this time around I’m really enjoying D’s comparatively straightforward style. And of course his wonderful psychological insights.
i picked this book up with no serious intention of actually reading it, i just saw this dummy thick book at my school library. well, ended up finishing 2 chapters there and borrowed it for a week i ended up reading like a madman and finished the book in 2 weeks! i never ever thought i would’ve enjoyed such a book like that but my GOD it was a transcendent experience. the second i finished that book i thought « i am… a changed woman. » like there’s no coming back after that it’s been years since i last reread, but TBK still haunts me to this day, and i still have many quotes memorised by heart. (also, i read this book as a nihilistic atheist and finished it with a completely different philosophy and world-view. i mean, im still an atheist, but it’s different now. it’s so hard to explain, i’ll just leave it at that).
I wish I had the formal naming convention explained to me at the start of the book along with a breakdown of nicknames. When formally addressed, the characters middle name is used which contains their father’s first name. (Ivan Fyodorovich Karamazov) Each character has a nickname that may or may not resemble their actual name. (Alexei/Alyosha, Dmitri/Mitka, or Ivan/Vanya)
Loved this video. Just subscribed to your channel. I’m starting this masterpiece tomorrow and I stumbled upon your video! Dostoevsky is one of my favorite authors. I love Crime and Punishment and now I can’t wait to read TBK!
100% true. This is quite possibly the best novel ever written. Unfortunately, it is a bit tough to grasp for people with a modern education (mostly poor) who have not taken it upon themselves to read enough books to understand the references in most classical literature
Read it for the fifth or sixth time recently. I get something new from every reading. Would like to read another translation. Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky are pretty good, but I prefer Oliver Ready's Crime and Punishment and keep hoping he'll do a translation of the TBK.
This is a book that requires total immersion. It really requires time and effort. Use notes. Use commentary. Read chapters more than once. It is stunningly deep.
Thanks guys, very informative. I am just about to order this book to start reading it, but I was feeling a bit daunted. Yoi have put me more at ease now.
This is the first video that I've seen on your channel, and it was fantastic! Quite a perfect introduction to this classic that I've been thinking of reading for many years. I'll probably read it on my Kindle, which has a way of making long books seem less daunting, as I usually turn off the "page count." Which translation do you think is best?
Though it is not my favorite novel of his, it is hard to argue against anyone that says this is his greatest, possibly the greatest, at least one of the greatest, novels ever written. I definitely need to reread this, but every time I pick it up, I just end up reading "The Grand Inquisitor," or some other small section. I am always behind when it comes to these readings that people do together. I find out too late. I will have to listen to the discussion up to where you are at!
Yeah, that Grand Inquisitor is like the light source and I'm a bug. I get drawn to it and zapped every time!! We have plenty of books planned. Perhaps you'd find one interesting you'd want to read with us?
This is a fantastic intro. I read the funeral scene/alyosha's speech to the kids two more times after i saw this vid. Perfect book to just get absorbed into for weeks.
Though Alyosha is the good brother it's IVAN who stands out which is troubling, is Alyosha too good is he believable?? I read this at age 21 amnow 68 and hope to read it again cos ONCECREAD it lives in the mind as a SPIRITUAL RESOURCE
Thanks chaps, really useful video. I’ll be reading along with you. I read Ulysses recently, and that book really taught me the importance of understanding the context of the times in which the novel is written (both of the country and the author). Excited for the read along.
@@TheCodeXCantina I'm now reading Ulysses with all the necessary support (Gifford's Ulysses Annotated, Killeen's Ulysses Unbound, etc.) and after reading A Portrait of the Artist". Are you planning to do a review of Ulysses?
@@TheCodeXCantina 2022 would be a good time! 😊 For the time being I’m sharing a journal of my progress on Instagram: instagram.com/p/CKtMBXnhAQb/?igshid=1rslzzxw9b9my
I'm a fan of complex and well fleshed out characters, and this book probably takes the cake in that regard. I don't remember it being 800 pages. It didn't really feel that long to me because it was just a joy reading.
@@TheCodeXCantina it has been amazing. I am now reading it to my girlfriend and she likes it 2. I have 2 reading locations. Repeating is actually helping me along with your series.
What a lovely video! THE crowning jewel and THE magnum opus of his life - and that's saying something when you've written the books he's written!!! Good god I love this book so much 💟💟💟
Starting this today, and I’m so excited to start it. I’ve made my way through crime and punishment and the idiot (by the way, I’m excited about parts 3 and 4 of ur videos on the idiot) and I believe I can understand a dostoyevsky novel pretty well. I’ve noticed that since listening to his word, I find a very comforting feeling from his writing. I recommend Dostoyevsky by Charles Bukowski, it represents how I feel about dostoyevsky. I’m happy for the work u guys do, and I hope to find more brilliant novels through u guys!
Omg, okay, well, I'm OBSESSED with this video wtf. I was literally sitting here this morning all scared about starting this book but NO MORE! Idk if I'm going to make it to the actual livestream today because I haven't started it hehe
This was wonderful guys! I’m only on chapter 5 and already loving it. We will see if it changes my best book of the year. At the moment it’s Les Miserables.
When I first began reading epic novels the introduction of many characters was a bit tiresome. East of Eden comes to mind. Now i know that an early investment in learning about a big set of characters pays off later in the book. I'm realizing that again now as I am halfway through my first reading of The Brothers Karamazov. This video and the comments are very helpful.
Planning to start this book cause of a video where Crash Course mentions Ivan and his struggle with understanding Evil, thereby he did not want to be with God even if he existed. I might have mixed up the intent but I am going through the exact phase and thoughts. Hoping the book will help calm my mind by the end, or at least think clearer.
@@TheCodeXCantina wow thanks for the quick reply. I understand this is a book channel but do you have thoughts on the movie as well? Like did it do any semblance of justice to the book?
@@TheCodeXCantina, some of these russian classics are very intimidating. And some translations very difficult to follow. I just finished the master and margarita a month ago. A very good book, but it doesn't translate well.
@@TheCodeXCantina i got the one from penguin. I chose it because it was better than the other alternative. I know a little russian so I had a look at both available translations to se which was better. The penguin one was slightly better
So much about flow of reading depends on which translation one refers to. Magarshak's translation has been the best one so far, in my experience, while the easily available, even free, translation by Constance Garnet is INSUFFERABLE. I have watched an Italian version done in episodes on TV which was superb, and am in the middle of reading it in Italian. As the presenters say, each experience with the book is amazing. (here is a "THINK about it" question: How many brothers are there?)
Ciao, sono interessata al tuo parere, avendone la possibilità è meglio leggere il libro in inglese o italiano? Che traduzione italiana hai scelto? Poi sono curiosa di sapere di che serie stavi parlando.
@@TheCodeXCantina Thank you! I was able to find a PDF and free audiobook for 'Notes From Underground' which I started last night. I was told to start with this or Crime and Punishment, so I will pick up the latter afterwards cause Notes isn't a long read. What are your thoughts on Notes From Underground?
@@Yuddder I love it. It is very much the most psychological and philosophical. Next year we’ll do some content on it I think. Could be a great first read depending on what you’re looking for. Any place can start well for certain people with Dostoevsky. There’s not a universal wrong answer in the same way there’s no universal right answer. It just tends to be certain books tend to work more often across many people. Hope you enjoy.
@@TheCodeXCantina thank you, sounds great! I'm about a third of the way through and the main character is the worst human being i have read but he also has some traits (such as the mouse and wall theory) that i kind of agree with which isnt ideal
I'm fairly young, yet I feel that I would enjoy this book... I don't know.., everyone seems a bit perplexed about the varying names, and I feel like I'd get annoyed at that too... Is there anything I can do to remember the names when reading?
I’ve heard the most common approach is keeping a list of names and writing down their nicknames. Hmmm, maybe I should create a spoiler free character list video. Might take me a while though
I wrote down the names on a piece of card when i first read a russian novel, and that card doubled up as my bookmark. Rewriting the card when thinking about book helped to remember who's who!
A lot of people like the newer Pevear and Volokhonsky. I’m partial to old school Garnett. There’s a new Katz translation coming out soon that is going through advanced readers now that I’ve found does a great job traditionally
It’s a longer book, has some more difficult language in chapter 5. It has deep themes that can really connect with people. It’s a book that can have you drive deeper into literature but also one that shouldn’t reflect the rest of literature for how unique it is.
I read Crime and Punishment last year (best read in 2020 actually) and was planning to read The Idiot in 2021. But maybe I should consider to read TBK first.
the book discusses some very interesting topics and has a few incredible chapters. however, i think that people who call it "gripping" or "unputdownable" should read more contemporary books. it is great to analyse and discuss, but i was able to put it down at any point and found some chapters boring and pagefillers. hope this doesn't offend anybody, i just think people hype this up too much...
No worries. This is a place where people are always welcome to share their opinions and don’t think you’ve said anything particularly edgy. I agree people have different tastes and I think it is equally important to urge people to try different books from different eras and push out of one’s comfort zones on top of reading what appeals to them. I wouldn’t agree to assume contemporary is assumed to always be more exciting. I think both have their ways of speaking to us and maybe in different ways. Cheers.
" Just a single man, Fyodor Dostoevsky, is enough to defeat all the creative novelists of the world. If one has to decide on 10 great novels in all the languages of the world, one will have to choose at least 3 novels of Dostoevsky in those 10. Dostoevsky’s insight into human beings and their problems is greater than your so-called psychoanalysts, and there are moments where he reaches the heights of great mystics. His book BROTHERS KARAMAZOV is so great in its insights that no BIBLE or KORAN or GITA comes close."
@@TheCodeXCantina That is from a talk by Osho. Offhand I can add this. "In another masterpiece of Dostoevsky, THE IDIOT, the main character is called ‘idiot’ by the people because they can’t understand his simplicity, his humbleness, his purity, his trust, his love. You can cheat him, you can deceive him, and he will still trust you. He is really one of the most beautiful characters ever created by any novelist. The idiot is a sage. The novel could just as well have been called THE SAGE. Dostoevsky’s idiot is not an idiot; he is one of the sanest men amongst an insane humanity. If you can become the idiot of Fyodor Dostoevsky, it is perfectly beautiful. It is better than being cunning priest or politician. Humbleness has such a blessing. Simplicity has such benediction. THE IDIOT is only the name, but the person he calls the idiot in that great novel… That novel has to be considered one of the ten great novels in the whole world literature. There is no way to think that anything better than Fyodor Dostoevsky’s IDIOT can be created. The idiot is a sage. He is called idiot by the people because they can’t understand his simplicity, his humbleness, his purity, his trust, his love. You can cheat him, you can deceive him, and he will still trust you. That’s why people think he is an idiot. He is really one of the most beautiful characters ever created by any novelist. The novel could just as well have been called THE SAGE. His trust is so much that it does not matter that you deceive. It does not matter that you cheat him; that is your problem, it is not his problem. His love, his trust will continue."
@@willieluncheonette5843I agree up to saying he's greater than the Bible. I'm sure you're aware that Dostoevsky was an Orthodox Christian and has numerous Biblical themes and references in his works. He was very familiar with the ascetic tradition of the Orthodox Church which focuses on fighting and being healed from the passions which many times come in the form of thoughts.
Good vid! My experience: Reading #1--superb novel Reading #2 30 years later--superb Reading #3--the Audible book--10 years later--am quite a bit less impressed. However, I think the Audible is a Constance Garnett translation and my prior readings were whoever translated the Norton Edition. Big difference in the quality of the translation, possibly. As I consider all I have read am thinking maybe this is excellent but a bit overrated, maybe more a book that impresses youngsters instead of older codgers as myself who might have less appreciation for the in your face moralizing and life questions long ago answered. It is maybe a little out dated . Man Without Qualities, Middlemarch, Quixote, the Arnd translation of Faust, William Meister, Quixote, are some that I presently rate above BK. Tolstoy maybe roughly equal--better and less in different ways.
Ooof, my mistake. I always swap the words "Jail" and "Prison." Life long struggle. Same with "Pink" and "Purple." It's frustrating. From my notes I took from my library's biography on him I have written down the words "Katorga prison camp." Isn't Sakhalin Island over in the East? I think I have heard about a Chekhov book about it but I can't say I'm terribly familiar with it.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
3:24 Expectations vs Reality
9:00 Author and Publication Info
10:53 Dostoevsky's Gospel
14:00 Russianology
17:17 The Road Ahead
Reading this book now, I am amazed at how deeply and sincerely he reveals the psychology of human nature and how modern everything he talks about. Many things are just prophetic and happen in this age.
Yes, exactly!
Nothing prophetic about it, human nature just doesn't change. We are just intelligent animals driven by hormones but surrounded by more technology over time.
That tells me that it was always like that, and always will be.
@@lunatico981 atleast for the time being we are just living in a improved version of the ancient world everything we use pretty much the same we are nothing but apes thrown back into the digital Stone Age
800 pages a struggle? Man I wish it would never end.
I hear you on that!!
Better than doing other mindless things tbh
Russian soul😅🤷♂️
Easy enough when you are not dyslexic 😢
I really liked the religious aspects very much, but the lawyers speech at the end could have been shorter
Amazing novel. Masterpiece of human nature, philosophy, religion, love and sin. Absolute BEST of Russian literature.
Look at the editing!! You make the chunky book sound intriguing.
:) Thanks
Dostoyevsky must have pushed himself to the limits of his psyche, emotions and madness in order to write so humanly compelling as he does in this book. The words he uses to explain and go beyond feelings are better than years in psychotherapy.
Edit: I never wanted it to end, either. Although it took me a few chapters and then I was hooked, and then the hook kept getting wilder and wilder. Utterly insane, sad, everything and funny, too. Mind blowing. Thankful to the humble master Dostoyevsky ♥️
H has absolutely soul touching notes about a woman who committed suicide. It’s such deep gaze into something as scary and as sad as ending itself. I definitely agree with you - he is a true literary MASTER.
@@oligreen1192 H… is that a He? 😜
Reading this book; you can't stop and want to have it finished soon to know how it ends, and at the same time you do not want to finish because you already know that you may not read such good book again. Though it is 200 years old, it feels like it was written yesterday.
I agree with 100% of these statements
İ'm reading it now and have the same feelings. I don't want it to be finished. I am amazed at how deeply and sincerely he reveals the psychology of human nature and how modern everything he talks about. Many things are just prophetic and happen in this age.
@@dianamuslimova6341 hon reader is it easy to read I have fluency in English right from childhood that is no problem heard that hard to understand because text words are too hard or may be to put a dictionary on table to judge meanings pls reply a request from good reader
Just finished the book and all I have to say is read it. Its a transformative experience
Hardest thing for me when I read crime and punishment was keeping track of the characters. Maybe if their names were like Jim, Bill, Angie… but the Russian names got me. Especially the fact that one person could be called several different things. Similar to formal/informal pronunciations.
But once I finally got past that I could tell who was talking just by the things they were saying. The tension between the characters made the book amazing. The plot is one thing, the drama between the characters and the characters themselves is what makes Dostoevsky such a great author.
I just started reading this book, I am excited to see who I meet.
Sure, the difference with Russian names are something many people comment on.
If you read it, when Katerina Ivanova came to beg Dmitry for money to save her father from scandal, did she offer to prostitute herself or merely humble her honor and social status? Could D even make this explicit in his day?
I was sorry for Svidrigailov, though he was a villian, of course.
@@rogerpropes7129Of course she didn't offer herself, it was enough to comproment herself just by coming to a man alone in the evening.
@@checkmatetrav take notes on a tablet when introduced to a character and any concrete info.
We need more channels like this. People need to wake up and challenge their brains. Great work.
It was an extremely challenging book but also very approachable. Very difficult to describe the Dostoevsky experience but it has it's own flavor and I love it!
I’m so ready to begin reading TBK!! This video was super helpful- I feel like I’m taking a literature course 👏 Also, I loved the cats hugging.
Krypto said I should put dogs in that part :D
This is absolutely a work of art! From the editing to the presentation of the plan for the read through - it was engaging, encouraging AND inspiring! I only *thought* I was hyped before, now I'm over here sliding my Bros K book over to me, ready to roll!
Fine, let's go get some ice cream :P
@@TheCodeXCantina Can I have 2 scoops?
Few things, that especially young people might find confusing about this book (and all other Dostoevsky's great novels) is, first of all, abundance of "family stuff". I suggest you take a piece of paper and write down geniological tree and all the family relationships and names, as this is really a hard part. This guy was born there, his father was this and that, his mother was unknown, and his father was (for example) of military origin, and his sister is X and Y, and she had first husband, who was beating her, but then died, and now she lives with her nephew, and rents house from another nephew and so on, and so forth - a lof of people will quit right there :) Take it as a challenge. At the end of the day, it's not that much. Also combining it with 3 format of russian names, some people may go insane. The second frustrating things is the old Russia religious language and terminology. Very challenging. But just get used to it, its going to be there in probably 2 out of all 9 books.
You out did yourself with the editting on this one! The intro is SUPER engaging and almost got me to pick it up, almost 😅
:D Thank you!
Its funny the number of "disclaimers" they add for the Christian influence over the book. Those readers who would reject a beautiful work of art because of their personal issues with Christianity are immature.
An excellent observation.
I can't
Great editing and summary!! I'm excited to start!!
That makes two of us. Thank you so much :D
I have just started with the novel and I am very very excited about it. I have wanted to read it for many years but never got to it until now. I have read several of Dostoyevskis novels and I can say that there is no one greater than him. And this book is going to be my last of it for which I have been preparing for a long time through the reading of previous novels in order to prepare myself for the big event. Thank you for this video and that I have found this channel.
He's such a great writer. His books have surprised people for centuries!
I cried at the end. Truly touching.
100% understand! It's amazing
I am glad to start reading this with you. Crime and Punishment was good. If this is better I am really excited.
Dude... you're going to love it!
for me that was my first novel of him when I was 25 years old, and it moved me so deeply that to this day, almost ten years later, for me Dostoyevski is The master!!!!!
Fantastic video! I’m so impressed. Great introduction. I just read this but might have to join in because I loved the book so much. I will second your opinion that it’s not hard to read. Tolstoy has my head spinning with names in his long books but I never got anyone mixed up in Bros. K. Thanks for your hard work. Deb
I'd love to hear more of your thoughts. I know you've shared your feelings on the ending.
This is one of the best books I've ever read. 10/10
For everyone’s information, this book is free when you sub to audible. I’m on book 3. My only complaint so far I’d the nicknames. He’ll sometimes refer to the boys by several different names and it can get confusing, but I’m loving the book so far
So awesome that you’re loving it! It’s free even for non Audible users too. You can use librivox or Gutenberg for free versions too if you have electronic resources available. Cheers
It's free on TH-cam. F audible!
Here’s a name code that may help:
Alyosha / Alexi
Ivan
Dmitri / mitri/ mitor
All brothers have the middle name fyodorovich too so will often hear their nickname followed by this,
E.g. Dmitri Fydorovich
Great video guys! I’ve been reading this book for decades and this is the best intro I’ve ever heard. Also your back and forth editing reminds me of a back and forth between alyosha and Ivan. Intense
That's such a complement. Thanks! I love their banter.
This was absolutely fantastic!! Really looking forward to digging into this and I hope it captures me the way it did you guys.
I hope so too!
LOVED THIS BOOK - I recommend reading it twice - I also recommend using a Kindle as there's a lot of references to look up and characters to track (sometimes characters have multiple names - I think it's a Russian thing)
It is so good!
I am loving it but it is taking me 6 months to finish (final 100 pages rn). Can’t imagine reading it again, tho I would love to because it truly is great
I'm watching because I love his books, all of them but reading Brothers K feels like climbing Everest at 71, my age. A recent book about his wife and D's gambling addiction has given me clarity. The book is sitting on bedside table for months. Thank you for this intro.
👍
71 also. Just finished crime and punishment and have brothers on kindle. Trying to get to some of the books I missed (recently did Iliad/odyssey..may never finish Ulysses or moby Dick )
Don't worry about keeping a tag on the characters just go with the prose flow it's amazing what sticks
Thank you for starting this community! I started this book last month but I can't wait to immerse myself into deeper discussions as I finish
I hope you enjoy the book!
This is awesome... It helped me get through my reading slump.
Awesome!
Wow! Just wow! Awesome intro! Between this video and last night's livestream, I'm just about ready to dive in.
Let's do this!
You guys really do an awesome job. Good stuff.
Thanks for the kind words
Enlightening. Very helpful. Looking forward to reading it again. Thanks for this.
Glad it was helpful!
This book is on my shelf. Can't wait to read it.
I am currently working on a project developing a musical about Dostoevsky. I know, I know it sounds like an SNL skit but the material is so rich and the challenge so great i could not resist the attempt to suffer through the process. I recently met a young Russian lady who when I told her that I was cast as Dostoyevsky himself looked at me very seriously and said softly, “I am so sorry”.
Of course I am doing all sorts of research on the man himself and am slowly working my way through The Brothers Karamazov. So far I have found it the richest source of info about the man himself. I too am a writer and know that any writer who has found his voice is ultimately writing about himself. So the three brothers represent three aspects of D himself which is most helpful in understanding this genius.
The musical is entitled ANNA AND FYODOR and looks at his life through the lens of their relationship. It is being developed at The Lambs Club of NYC, America’s oldest theatrical social club. It will be a long, long slog and may never get beyond the development stage. I don’t mind though because the journey as difficult and filled with suffering as it may be is worth the opportunity to learn about human society, my own place in it and grow in spiritual understanding.
Masterpiece, he has this ability to bring all the characters to a point where they have little bits of yourself in some way. Alyosha thinking of Katarena " And the vagueness of his apprehension increases the apprehension itself" So many examples of our beautiful uncertainty it makes you feel a real person.
It is a deeply Christian book. It's not about "religion" not having answers per se. But rather he was a sort of Christian existentialist like Kierkegaard.
But good video!
Cheers
Reading it now. My third attempt. Since my last attempt I’ve learned to love McCarthy and Faulkner. So this time around I’m really enjoying D’s comparatively straightforward style. And of course his wonderful psychological insights.
Awesome! Hope you enjoy the book this round!
You should read " Humiliated and insulted" by the same author. It is simpler, shorter, easier to read.
i picked this book up with no serious intention of actually reading it, i just saw this dummy thick book at my school library. well, ended up finishing 2 chapters there and borrowed it for a week
i ended up reading like a madman and finished the book in 2 weeks! i never ever thought i would’ve enjoyed such a book like that but my GOD it was a transcendent experience. the second i finished that book i thought « i am… a changed woman. » like there’s no coming back after that
it’s been years since i last reread, but TBK still haunts me to this day, and i still have many quotes memorised by heart.
(also, i read this book as a nihilistic atheist and finished it with a completely different philosophy and world-view. i mean, im still an atheist, but it’s different now. it’s so hard to explain, i’ll just leave it at that).
That's great and we love the book too. Thanks for sharing.
I wish I had the formal naming convention explained to me at the start of the book along with a breakdown of nicknames.
When formally addressed, the characters middle name is used which contains their father’s first name. (Ivan Fyodorovich Karamazov)
Each character has a nickname that may or may not resemble their actual name. (Alexei/Alyosha, Dmitri/Mitka, or Ivan/Vanya)
Loved this video. Just subscribed to your channel. I’m starting this masterpiece tomorrow and I stumbled upon your video! Dostoevsky is one of my favorite authors. I love Crime and Punishment and now I can’t wait to read TBK!
Oh my gosh! I hope you love it! Dostoevsky is the best
100% true. This is quite possibly the best novel ever written. Unfortunately, it is a bit tough to grasp for people with a modern education (mostly poor) who have not taken it upon themselves to read enough books to understand the references in most classical literature
Read it for the fifth or sixth time recently. I get something new from every reading. Would like to read another translation. Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky are pretty good, but I prefer Oliver Ready's Crime and Punishment and keep hoping he'll do a translation of the TBK.
wait what does being poor have to do with it? poor doesn’t equal stupid 😂
@@charlescharliechazz I think he means a "Poor" education.
This is a book that requires total immersion. It really requires time and effort. Use notes. Use commentary. Read chapters more than once.
It is stunningly deep.
👍
I couldn’t agree more; thank God for Audible, I am “reading” while delivering for Amazon so I’m drinking it in
@@cjbfromda513 yes audible is good - I use that too!
Thanks guys, very informative. I am just about to order this book to start reading it, but I was feeling a bit daunted. Yoi have put me more at ease now.
Hope you enjoy it!
Great video, can't wait to watch the rest of you guys' stuff
More to come!
Love what you guys do....keep it going.
As a russian, it's always so fun to hear how people say Dostoevsky's name!)) Not many can get it right😆
Indeed. The names are very hard for me. I will continue to practice
@@TheCodeXCantina oh, I didn't mean to be rude. You're doing much better than many people, including most of the narrators for the audiobook)))
Awesome introduction can't wait to read it.
I hope you enjoy it!
This was awesome. So interesting. Well done! So you are saying I should read this book? I'll think about it. lol
Let's talk about it.... you free about 7pm tonight? :D
@@TheCodeXCantina hmmm.. yeah I think that works for me! lol
This is the first video that I've seen on your channel, and it was fantastic! Quite a perfect introduction to this classic that I've been thinking of reading for many years. I'll probably read it on my Kindle, which has a way of making long books seem less daunting, as I usually turn off the "page count." Which translation do you think is best?
Oh yes! It’s a great book. We put a lot of effort into the “Before you Read” videos so I’m glad you like it
Though it is not my favorite novel of his, it is hard to argue against anyone that says this is his greatest, possibly the greatest, at least one of the greatest, novels ever written. I definitely need to reread this, but every time I pick it up, I just end up reading "The Grand Inquisitor," or some other small section. I am always behind when it comes to these readings that people do together. I find out too late. I will have to listen to the discussion up to where you are at!
Yeah, that Grand Inquisitor is like the light source and I'm a bug. I get drawn to it and zapped every time!! We have plenty of books planned. Perhaps you'd find one interesting you'd want to read with us?
I might be losing my mind with how good this video is
You might be making me blush
Great work guys hats off to your dedication and efforts.
Thanks for the kind words
This is a fantastic intro. I read the funeral scene/alyosha's speech to the kids two more times after i saw this vid. Perfect book to just get absorbed into for weeks.
Thank you so much. Agreed it's a great book to get lost in.
Though Alyosha is the good brother it's IVAN who stands out which is troubling, is Alyosha too good is he believable?? I read this at age 21 amnow 68 and hope to read it again cos ONCECREAD it lives in the mind as a SPIRITUAL RESOURCE
Thanks chaps, really useful video. I’ll be reading along with you.
I read Ulysses recently, and that book really taught me the importance of understanding the context of the times in which the novel is written (both of the country and the author). Excited for the read along.
Joyce in general is one for contextual analysis! Ulysses is no small undertaking!
@@TheCodeXCantina I'm now reading Ulysses with all the necessary support (Gifford's Ulysses Annotated, Killeen's Ulysses Unbound, etc.) and after reading A Portrait of the Artist". Are you planning to do a review of Ulysses?
@@Idazle I’m in the camp of interested to retry but hesitant and scarred. 2022 is centennial so I tell myself I’ll reevaluate it then.
@@TheCodeXCantina 2022 would be a good time! 😊 For the time being I’m sharing a journal of my progress on Instagram: instagram.com/p/CKtMBXnhAQb/?igshid=1rslzzxw9b9my
I'm a fan of complex and well fleshed out characters, and this book probably takes the cake in that regard. I don't remember it being 800 pages. It didn't really feel that long to me because it was just a joy reading.
Applause for your wonderful work on this vid👏👏👏👏👏😍
Many many thanks
I am down and am picking up the book and am reading it. Thank you!
Yesss! I hope you enjoy!
@@TheCodeXCantina it has been amazing. I am now reading it to my girlfriend and she likes it 2. I have 2 reading locations. Repeating is actually helping me along with your series.
Oh, brilliant...so well done and thoughtful too. Thank you so much.
The pleasure is all ours. We really wanted to make this a special event for people :D
Excellent! Great explanation, great editing, great everything! 👏👏👏
Thanks, Barb!
What a lovely video! THE crowning jewel and THE magnum opus of his life - and that's saying something when you've written the books he's written!!! Good god I love this book so much 💟💟💟
Thank you so much!
What translation would you recommend?
Starting this today, and I’m so excited to start it. I’ve made my way through crime and punishment and the idiot (by the way, I’m excited about parts 3 and 4 of ur videos on the idiot) and I believe I can understand a dostoyevsky novel pretty well. I’ve noticed that since listening to his word, I find a very comforting feeling from his writing. I recommend Dostoyevsky by Charles Bukowski, it represents how I feel about dostoyevsky. I’m happy for the work u guys do, and I hope to find more brilliant novels through u guys!
I’ll have to check it out. I have yet to read any Bulkowski
I love so much Dostoievski and all his books.
Omg, okay, well, I'm OBSESSED with this video wtf. I was literally sitting here this morning all scared about starting this book but NO MORE! Idk if I'm going to make it to the actual livestream today because I haven't started it hehe
I haven't started either, so come be at the back of the class with me!
The reading hasn't even started yet, soooo welcome to the front seat both of you! 🤣
@@ChristyLuisDostoevskyinSpace PHEW!!! Hahaha I am just so looking forward to this either way
As Christy said, you're on time as usual, sir!
The flashes of the cats hugging and Conan the barbarian were awesome
This is great information. Thanks.
This was wonderful guys! I’m only on chapter 5 and already loving it. We will see if it changes my best book of the year. At the moment it’s Les Miserables.
I hope you continue to love it
Im 16, and trying to fit in one more book before uni applocation season starts 🙏
The quality of this video is deserving of 10 times its views. Looking forward to reading the book
Very kind of you to say
When I first began reading epic novels the introduction of many characters was a bit tiresome. East of Eden comes to mind. Now i know that an early investment in learning about a big set of characters pays off later in the book. I'm realizing that again now as I am halfway through my first reading of The Brothers Karamazov. This video and the comments are very helpful.
Planning to start this book cause of a video where Crash Course mentions Ivan and his struggle with understanding Evil, thereby he did not want to be with God even if he existed. I might have mixed up the intent but I am going through the exact phase and thoughts. Hoping the book will help calm my mind by the end, or at least think clearer.
Ah yes, the Rebellion and Grand Inquisitor chapters!! I hope you enjoy!!
@@TheCodeXCantina wow thanks for the quick reply. I understand this is a book channel but do you have thoughts on the movie as well? Like did it do any semblance of justice to the book?
@@dharmani_youtube I’ve never watched the movie. If you watch it and enjoy it, let me know. I may have to check it out
@@TheCodeXCantina will definitely do. Will let you know. You have a good one. I look forward to more from this channel 😊
Impressive video guys!
Thanks so much!
I am looking forward one day will read this book!
I hope you love it
Definitely want to read this book
Fyodor is really seminal,
Just bought it today. I can't wait for my freeweek to start
Hope you enjoy it!
@@TheCodeXCantina, some of these russian classics are very intimidating. And some translations very difficult to follow. I just finished the master and margarita a month ago. A very good book, but it doesn't translate well.
@@paulthomassen5007 thanks for the tip. I was planning on reading that next year. Which translation did you try?
@@TheCodeXCantina i got the one from penguin. I chose it because it was better than the other alternative. I know a little russian so I had a look at both available translations to se which was better. The penguin one was slightly better
They also have a great dramatisation of "Idiot" here on TH-cam with English subtitles. The same for The Master and Margarita.
So much about flow of reading depends on which translation one refers to. Magarshak's translation has been the best one so far, in my experience, while the easily available, even free, translation by Constance Garnet is INSUFFERABLE. I have watched an Italian version done in episodes on TV which was superb, and am in the middle of reading it in Italian. As the presenters say, each experience with the book is amazing. (here is a "THINK about it" question: How many brothers are there?)
Yeah, I know the translation can be really important for many!
Ciao, sono interessata al tuo parere, avendone la possibilità è meglio leggere il libro in inglese o italiano? Che traduzione italiana hai scelto? Poi sono curiosa di sapere di che serie stavi parlando.
This was on my TBR , now I'll have to read it ASAP
I hope you love it
Brilliant fellas. *slow clap building to uproarious applause*
Thank you, thank you
Doing the lord's work with this channel, boyos
🙏
Instant Subscribe! Just finished this book - your channel is invaluable as my head is spinning... in a good way!
Awesome, thank you! It's an amazing book!
thanks for this. debating which one of his novels to read first. do i go right for his best or start off with something like The idiot?
I would look at either Crime and Punishment or Bros K and decide which one has more appealing plot or themes
@@TheCodeXCantina Thank you! I was able to find a PDF and free audiobook for 'Notes From Underground' which I started last night. I was told to start with this or Crime and Punishment, so I will pick up the latter afterwards cause Notes isn't a long read. What are your thoughts on Notes From Underground?
@@Yuddder I love it. It is very much the most psychological and philosophical. Next year we’ll do some content on it I think. Could be a great first read depending on what you’re looking for. Any place can start well for certain people with Dostoevsky. There’s not a universal wrong answer in the same way there’s no universal right answer. It just tends to be certain books tend to work more often across many people. Hope you enjoy.
@@TheCodeXCantina thank you, sounds great! I'm about a third of the way through and the main character is the worst human being i have read but he also has some traits (such as the mouse and wall theory) that i kind of agree with which isnt ideal
I'll be getting into this near the end of your run going through this.
Woo!
I'm fairly young, yet I feel that I would enjoy this book... I don't know.., everyone seems a bit perplexed about the varying names, and I feel like I'd get annoyed at that too... Is there anything I can do to remember the names when reading?
I’ve heard the most common approach is keeping a list of names and writing down their nicknames. Hmmm, maybe I should create a spoiler free character list video. Might take me a while though
@@TheCodeXCantina If you can find time, it would be greatly appreciated!!
I wrote down the names on a piece of card when i first read a russian novel, and that card doubled up as my bookmark. Rewriting the card when thinking about book helped to remember who's who!
Is there a translation that is considered ‘best?’
A lot of people like the newer Pevear and Volokhonsky. I’m partial to old school Garnett. There’s a new Katz translation coming out soon that is going through advanced readers now that I’ve found does a great job traditionally
Should I just delve right into this book, or should I read his other books first? I don't read a lot of books, fiction especially.
It’s a longer book, has some more difficult language in chapter 5. It has deep themes that can really connect with people. It’s a book that can have you drive deeper into literature but also one that shouldn’t reflect the rest of literature for how unique it is.
Reading it right now and it takes a while to get familiar with the characters names.
1:16 demons and the possessed are different titles for the same book
Yep
I read Crime and Punishment last year (best read in 2020 actually) and was planning to read The Idiot in 2021. But maybe I should consider to read TBK first.
Oh nice, we're doing The Idiot later on this year if you wanted to sync up
@@TheCodeXCantina I certainly would like to! Thanks Una!
Great video!
Thanks!
the book discusses some very interesting topics and has a few incredible chapters. however, i think that people who call it "gripping" or "unputdownable" should read more contemporary books. it is great to analyse and discuss, but i was able to put it down at any point and found some chapters boring and pagefillers. hope this doesn't offend anybody, i just think people hype this up too much...
No worries. This is a place where people are always welcome to share their opinions and don’t think you’ve said anything particularly edgy. I agree people have different tastes and I think it is equally important to urge people to try different books from different eras and push out of one’s comfort zones on top of reading what appeals to them. I wouldn’t agree to assume contemporary is assumed to always be more exciting. I think both have their ways of speaking to us and maybe in different ways. Cheers.
" Just a single man, Fyodor Dostoevsky, is enough to defeat all the creative novelists of the world. If one has to decide on 10 great novels in all the languages of the world, one will have to choose at least 3 novels of Dostoevsky in those 10. Dostoevsky’s insight into human beings and their problems is greater than your so-called psychoanalysts, and there are moments where he reaches the heights of great mystics. His book BROTHERS KARAMAZOV is so great in its insights that no BIBLE or KORAN or GITA comes close."
Which other 2 Dostoevsky novels would you chose for your top 10?
@@TheCodeXCantina That is from a talk by Osho. Offhand I can add this.
"In another masterpiece of Dostoevsky, THE IDIOT, the main character is called ‘idiot’ by the people because they can’t understand his simplicity, his humbleness, his purity, his trust, his love. You can cheat him, you can deceive him, and he will still trust you. He is really one of the most beautiful characters ever created by any novelist. The idiot is a sage. The novel could just as well have been called THE SAGE. Dostoevsky’s idiot is not an idiot; he is one of the sanest men amongst an insane humanity. If you can become the idiot of Fyodor Dostoevsky, it is perfectly beautiful. It is better than being cunning priest or politician. Humbleness has such a blessing. Simplicity has such benediction.
THE IDIOT is only the name, but the person he calls the idiot in that great novel… That novel has to be considered one of the ten great novels in the whole world literature.
There is no way to think that anything better than Fyodor Dostoevsky’s IDIOT can be created. The idiot is a sage. He is called idiot by the people because they can’t understand his simplicity, his humbleness, his purity, his trust, his love. You can cheat him, you can deceive him, and he will still trust you. That’s why people think he is an idiot. He is really one of the most beautiful characters ever created by any novelist. The novel could just as well have been called THE SAGE. His trust is so much that it does not matter that you deceive. It does not matter that you cheat him; that is your problem, it is not his problem. His love, his trust will continue."
@@willieluncheonette5843I agree up to saying he's greater than the Bible. I'm sure you're aware that Dostoevsky was an Orthodox Christian and has numerous Biblical themes and references in his works. He was very familiar with the ascetic tradition of the Orthodox Church which focuses on fighting and being healed from the passions which many times come in the form of thoughts.
Can you introduce yourselves? I would like to know your background. thanks for this great video
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💓💓💓 Excellent!
🙏
I’m looking forward to liking this book. Tried twice and got to page ~80…so boring, and the full names are so annoying 🤷🏻♂️ I will try again thanks!
You are great!!!
Good vid! My experience:
Reading #1--superb novel
Reading #2 30 years later--superb
Reading #3--the Audible book--10 years later--am quite a bit less impressed. However, I think the Audible is a Constance Garnett translation and my prior readings were whoever translated the Norton Edition. Big difference in the quality of the translation, possibly. As I consider all I have read am thinking maybe this is excellent but a bit overrated, maybe more a book that impresses youngsters instead of older codgers as myself who might have less appreciation for the in your face moralizing and life questions long ago answered. It is maybe a little out dated . Man Without Qualities, Middlemarch, Quixote, the Arnd translation of Faust, William Meister, Quixote, are some that I presently rate above BK. Tolstoy maybe roughly equal--better and less in different ways.
Thanks for sharing! I definitely get what you mean about how books impact is differently at different points in our lives!
and, Master and Margarita, forget to include that in my list of better.
Hmmmm, maybe I will try Faust instead, thanks
Excellent book
"sent to jail"
No. He was sent to Sakhalin Island. Where people were chained to wheelbarrows.
Great video.
Ooof, my mistake. I always swap the words "Jail" and "Prison." Life long struggle. Same with "Pink" and "Purple." It's frustrating.
From my notes I took from my library's biography on him I have written down the words "Katorga prison camp." Isn't Sakhalin Island over in the East? I think I have heard about a Chekhov book about it but I can't say I'm terribly familiar with it.
@@TheCodeXCantina yes, he was sent to Siberia (Omsk), not Sakhalin