The Brothers Karamazov

By: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Constance Garnett - translator

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 34 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

After spending four years in a Siberian penal settlement, during which time he underwent a religious conversion, Dostoevsky developed a keen ability for deep character analysis. In The Brothers Karamazov, he explores human nature at its most loathsome and cruel but never flinches at what he finds.

The Brothers Karamazov tells the stirring tale of four brothers: the pleasure-seeking, impatient Dmitri; the brilliant and morose Ivan; the gentle, loving, and honest Alyosha; and the illegitimate Smerdyakov: shy, silent, and cruel. The four unite in the murder of one of literature's most despicable characters - their father. This was Dostoevsky's final and best work.

Public Domain (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[Dostoevsky is] at once the most literary and compulsively readable of novelists we continue to regard as great....The Brothers Karamazov stands as the culmination of his art - his last, longest, richest, and most capacious book." (Washington Post Book World)

So-so

A decent enough story however if 1) you like philosophy and 2) you can get over the narrator’s inflections, which I found distracting. This one was challenging to get into because the story was slow and characters all have about 5 names each so it’s hard to remember who is who. Give it fine and you’ll catch on. Overall I’d say it’s not as profound as some other philosophical fiction I’ve read but worth a gander since it’s free and a classic.

Best Audio Version of Karamazov Brothers

I have listened to all the versions, this one stands above the rest. The reader does justice to the characters and to Dosteyevsky’s prose. His voice characters for Alyosha, Grushenka, and Mitya are outstanding.
There needs to be an audio version that uses a more Russian language influenced English translation, one that captures the idioms and innuendos better. But until then . . .

Absolutely fell in love with our reader!

I read The Brothers K in my twenties when I was catching up my literary background from the shambles of my public education, and listening to it now about 30 years later it’s still my absolute favorite Dostoyevsky novel.

And wow! I’ve pretty much fallen in love with our reader, an incredible performance, and to keep it up for that many hours! If there was an emoji for waving hand towards perspiring face, then it’d be right here.

Classic Russian literature

Dostoevsky explores familial disfunction, cultural changes and religion. The unique blend of extended families, paternal indifference, the ending off serfdom and the power of the Orthodox church makes for struggles within society.
I didn't have a problem with the narration and surprised to see that it was such a divisive point amongst listeners. I admittedly am not sure about proper pronunciation of Russian names but I also wasn't confused by the way they were pronounced by the narrator.

unbearable narration

This is the first book I stopped listening to and will actually return. I was looking forward to this great classic, but the narrator's snooty tone of voice with many sentences ending question-like with a rising pitch made it impossible to listen to beyond the first chapter.

What a great reader!

Where does The Brothers Karamazov rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Brothers Karamazov?

The description of the third brother, who is so compassionate.

Which character – as performed by Frederick Davidson – was your favorite?

Same...third brother.

Any additional comments?

I have bought many books here on Audible. I like the readings by Frederick Davidson. He brings the characters to life. Don't believe the reviews that "diss" him. I have many books which he narrates and he is magnificent in all of them!

RELIGIOUS BELIEF

Re-listening to "The Brothers Karamazov" reprises its deeply religious overtone and its depiction of how some novelists view and reinforce inequality of the sexes. The role of religion in life is vivified by Ivan Karamazov, the 4th son and brother of the Karamazov family. 

Ivan offers a societal interpretation of the concept of God in a narrative poem titled "The Grand Inquisitor".  He explains to his brother Alyosha--if the Son of God returns to earth and shows his divinity through miracle, the returning Christ would be captured by church elders and rejected as humankind’s Savior.

"The Grand Inquisitor" is a bishop and church elder. He explains to humankind's Savior--the Church is commissioned by Christ’s Father to rule the world.  With God’s commission, “The Grand Inquisitor” argues the Church dutifully manages human sin and confession.  The inference is that a “second coming” will not successfully eradicate human sin because it is ineradicable.

Dostoevsky suggests God's truth is that no one should stand in judgement over another, each should pray for theirs, and their brother’s redemption. Dostoevsky's saintly character, Zosima, argues a change will come upon the world gradually based on a growing diminution of the human desire for money, power, and prestige.  Care for others becomes as great as care for oneself. To Dostoevsky, this is an evolutionary imperative based on the biblical word of God.

A blaring irony of “The Brothers Karamazov” is Dostoevsky's reprehensible characterization of women.  Dostoevsky’s vision is patriarchal.  Women bare children keep the house and obey their husbands.  There is no room for women’s equality.  They are a mere rib of Man.

Dostoevsky’s “…Brothers Karamazov” is a reminder of Martin Luther King, Jr’s quote— “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”  Maybe, but this generation doubts its truth.

VERY slow to start, but it does pick up.

What did you like best about The Brothers Karamazov? What did you like least?

When I bought this book, I promised myself I would get through it, and for the first 10 hours of listening...I was regretting my decision. This book starts slow, like painfully slow, it seems that the author is disconnected from his audience, and doesn't seem to care. I've read other Dostoevsky, and I have to admit, this was my least favorite.

Has The Brothers Karamazov turned you off from other books in this genre?

I wouldn't say that The Brother's Karamazov turned me off from other books in the genre, but it did help to turn me away from the author.

What about Frederick Davidson’s performance did you like?

Frederick was incredibly expressive, he put in proper emotion where it was called for, it was a good performance.

Did The Brothers Karamazov inspire you to do anything?

Nope

Any additional comments?

This was my least favorite Fyodor Dostoevsky novel, if you're looking for something of his to read...skip this one, it was a pretty lackluster experience.

Full of life

Fantastic narration. Could have never "read it" all alone. So rich and full of life and another time.

Slow build up to an amazing set of circumstances

Great classic and worth a listen. Like a lot of the old classics it takes some time to get used to hearing and recognizing the Russian names and getting into the time setting. Slow build up to start but finishes with an outstanding court room scene that sets the stage for all modern crime scenes