The Brothers Karamazov [Jimcin Recordings Edition]

By: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Constance Garnett - translator

Narrated by: Walter Covell

Length: 37 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Dostoevsky studied human nature with passion and precision. He plumbed the depths and never winced at what he found, even when it was beyond his understanding. This extraordinary novel is a recital of his findings, told in the story of four brothers: Dimitri, pleasure-seeking, impatient, unruly; Ivan, brilliant and morose; Alyosha, gentle, loving, honest; and the illegitimate Smerdyakov, sly, silent, cruel. What gives this story its dramatic grip is the part these brothers play in their father's murder.

©1987 Jimcin Recordings (P)1987 Jimcin Recordings

Clarity and Eloquence

What made the experience of listening to The Brothers Karamazov the most enjoyable?

Mr Covell's pronunciation enabled me to either listen and follow along with a book simultaneously, or simply listen alone and still understand everything that was being said. Words were said clearly with no confusion or slurring of phrases. Very well done.

What other book might you compare The Brothers Karamazov to and why?

Well, Crime and Punishment comes to mind first due to the similar settings, vocabulary, and the fact that they're written by the same author. I enjoy this latter aspect because in C&P we know the killer and root for him being the main character, but in TBK we don't know him and have come to despise him by the time we figure out who the killer truly is.

What does Walter Covell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

If I had just read the book there would've been portions that would've been skimmed over quickly rather than meticulously studied thanks to the pace of Walter Covell's read. As I followed along with my book, I was able to read with more patience rather than storm through the book, forgetting lines only minutes after reading them.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't laugh or cry, but I was amazed at the social attitudes that were prevalent in the historical times of the novel. This was shown immensely during the trial, and I was greatly amazed at the jury's judgement when all that was given by the prosecution was circumstantial evidence. But that's the way courts worked in those times, with just men hearing the story and making decisions - when judges could put forth their opinions and tell the jurors what is true and what is not.

Any additional comments?

Only a couple of times in the narration was a line or a phrase skipped over. This was no doubt due to the same phrases being in back-to-back lines (scribal phenomenon called homoeoteleuton) and the error (called periblepsis) of the omission of the end of the first line as the scribe or orator's eyes returned to the page.

Also, a little more emotion in the narrator's voice could always liven the story up a bit, but it is understood how taking on a frantic character's voice could lose verbal clarity which Mr Covell maintained very well throughout.

Wonderful

This is one of those life-changing books that has a profound impact on all who read it. On one level it is the story of a murder in which the murdered man's sons share varying degrees of complicity. However, it also has a deeper level. It portrays the spiritual drama of the characters moral struggles between faith, doubt, reason, and free will. Wonderful story, though not exactly light reading. Walter Covell is one of my favorite readers and he did his usual excellent job. Five stars.

A Perceptive and Engaging Family Narrative

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

As far as fiction goes, I would rate this #1.

What did you like best about this story?

I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of drama, psychology, philosophy, religion, law, & Russian History!

Have you listened to any of Walter Covell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not. But based on the 40 hours of this recording, I would recommend, and will definitely seek out other recordings by Covell!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The chapter entitled "The Grand Inquisitor"... Also some of Father Zossima's speeches...

Any additional comments?

One can tell that this novel was first written serially, and that Dostoyevsky was paid by his output. The story does lag in some places, especially for the modern reader, so accustomed to speed, but all in all the work is a must-read (or must-listen) for the thinker...

Walter Covell: Auditory Anesthesiologist

One of my favorite books; one of my least favorite audio books. I listen to audio books nearly every working day of my week. I know this book backwards & forwards, but about an hour into it, I found myself thinking about my grocery list or the airspeed velocity of a swallow. It was horrible. I could not handle the narration-- I would get lost in the dialogue knowing who spoke or if it was the narrator. If you want juicy (though Post-Revolutionary) Russian literature, try Bulgakov's, The Master & Margarita. Excellent narration, though British--but entertaining and allows you to keep track of the different characters during a dialogue. Or just read the hard-bound; it's one the world's best works of fiction.

A Simply Elegant and Wonderful Journey

After reading Crime and Punishment I never thought that it could have gotten any better - I was so wrong. The depth, color, span, nuance powerful prose of this book has left me awed by the brilliance of Dostoevsky's genius.

Easily among the best I have ever read or listened to.

low sound quality

it would have been a lot better only if this had normal sound quality. the vibrating voice is kind of annoying.

Inconsistent audio very flat performance.

What would have made The Brothers Karamazov better?

I confess I have not finished yet, and suspect I may go to the print book.

How could the performance have been better?

The audio levels and recording setup seemed to change abruptly several times throughout this recording. So much so that I was not sure it was all the same narrator. The pacing and tone was also very monotonous and made it very hard not to zone out. That said, I previewed all the available versions and this seemed the least bad.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I suspect that the story would be much more compelling if I were able to sit down and read it on my own.

Any additional comments?

I actually wish that I could get a refund on this book. I'm halfway through the second part and am very unlikely to get through the whole thing.

Ugh!

Despite having listened to, and loved, several dozen long 19th century English, European and Russian novels, I found this one so obnoxiously butchered by its reader as to be unlistenable.

Rambling storyline. Not a great narrator.

This rambling story will mildly entertain you for many hours but lacks a focused, integrated punch. It is like Cervantes' Don Quixote that way. The narrator has a pleasant voice and does a decent job distinguishing the various characters, but occasionally misreads, emphasizing the wrong word or pausing in the wrong place. I most appreciated learning something about Russians' self conception: passionate, honorable, and intimate with suffering.

I'm going to try a different reader/translation.

I listen to A LOT of audio books. Long ones. Like "War & Peace"..."Moby Dick"..."Bleak House". But, this one I couldn't finish, despite several tries. The reader lacks emotional nuance. And the simple pacing of words, which could bring a scene vividly to life, is dull and listless. He's got great pronunciation of words. But, still...I'm going to look for a different version and give it another try.