Wow! I just finished reading this wonderful book. Fyodor Dostoyevsky succeeded in creating characters who symbolize something. For example, Dmitri and Fyodor seem to ­personify selfishness and the appetite of the flesh, Alyosha represents faith, Ivan doubt, and Smerdyakov is a symbol of Dostoyevsky’s wickedness. Their personalities all add to the book.

The Brothers Karamazov has everything a reader could want: murder, a love triangle, virtues, and morals, just to name a few. This is one of those books that I found myself looking forward to reading and at times could not put down with the pages just seeming to fly by.
One aspect that makes it even more enjoyable are the themes that Dostoyevsky touches on, including the conflict between faith and doubt. Though the thickness of the book may make it intimidating, it is worth a try if you love classic literature. This is my first ­Russian novel, and now I look forward to reading more by Dostoyevsky.