The Brothers Karamazov (Bantam Classics) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

The greatest soul writer of all times and great contributor to human psychology successfully created a beautiful and amazing dynamism between the Karamazov brothers that has been the core of many stories after involving siblings. There is the unreliable father, the old Fyodor Karamazov whose life dominates his sons and whose death casts a huge shadow on their future.

Sensual Alyosha who is the youngest of the Karamazov brothers is the main character of the story, and he is noted for his strong faith in god and humanity, deep kindness and sense of sacrifice.
Ivan the atheist has a sharp mind and is the critical analyzer who seeks for meaning in everything. He is skeptical and dwells more on rationale in his dealing with people and issues. In the end, his intellectual mind misleads him and opens the doors to the nightmares in his life.
Dmitry is the sensitive brother who has a strong consideration for anything living, Smerdyakov their half-brother, is the cunning illegitimate son of old Fyodor Karamazov and works as Fyodor's servant.

The characters of the brothers and the events of their lives made for the complex and fascinating story of exceptional proportions, where faith, meekness, atheism, indifference and slavery to negative instincts and impulses are often in conflict. Faith and atheism or disbelief in God is taken to epic proportions in Ivan's encounter with the devil.

Dostoevsky stated that, "when there is no God, all is permitted.". That assertion is reinforced in books like UNION MOUJIK,THE IDIOT and CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. The absence of God or lack of faith in man makes it possible for man to thrive in his worst animal instincts. Even when man starts with good intentions, the absence of faith usually derails him to the point where the good intentions are overshadowed by the negative effects of his actions. My conclusion is that this is a rare masterpiece.

Now first off, there are some things that those of you that haven't read the book will need to know. Take my word that this novel is excellent; many others think so on amazon.com--and throughout the world--as well. Don't read a lot of reviews here because people tend to give away some of the plot. This book is not an easy read when compared to some other novels. That shouldn't discourage you, but it's better to know it coming in. (Just to let you know, if you read a lot, or even often, this book won't be that hard. However, I do recommend it to those that rarely read and that is why I make sure to note that it isn't the easiest of novels.) Surprisingly, the writing is very personal and anyone will grab onto his style and enjoy the way he warmly tells his Russian story. Another thing to know is that a dictionary will most likely be necessary if your vocabulary isn't large. I'm sure everyone will need one for a few words. The last thing worth hearing is that you will not want to miss this book. It's one of my favorites.

In the end, my recommendation is to give this novel a chance. If you're intimidated, which I can see happening, don't be. It's really worth your time and I reassure you that you will learn many things from Dostoevsky's masterpiece.

One note of importance: Read the version translated into English by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. It is the truest translation.