Originally published in serial form in 1879-80, “The Brothers Karamazov” is recognized as one of the very greatest masterpieces of world literature. It is the last and finest novel of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who died before writing a planned sequel.
The story is organized initially around the efforts of adult sons to deal with their cantankerous and exasperating father. More important, they also have to deal with the problem of how to live in a world where it is difficult to be sure of the truth, whether that be “truth” about others, about oneself, or about deep questions such as faith, doubt, free will, guilt, and responsibility.
Dostoyevsky’s technique underlines the difficulty of attaining sure knowledge. The novel’s psychological and philosophical depth sets the stage for modern novelists such as Joyce, Kafka, and Woolf. “The Brothers Karamazov” has been a favorite book for readers as diverse as Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Putin, and Hillary Clinton. - Summary by Bruce Pirie
Chapters
1 01.01 Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov 10 min 2 01.02 He gets rid of his oldest son 9 min 3 01.03 The second marriage and the second family 18 min 4 01.04 The third son, Alyosha 24 min 5 01.05 Elders 25 min 6 02.01 They arrive at the monastery 13 min 7 02.02 The old buffoon 25 min 8 02.03 Peasant women who have faith 22 min 9 02.04 A lady of little faith 21 min 10 02.05 So be it! So be it! 27 min 11 02.06 Why is such a man alive? 27 min 12 02.07 A young man bent on a career 24 min 13 02.08 The scandalous scene 25 min 14 03.01 In the servants' quarters 16 min 15 03.02 Lizaveta 11 min 16 03.03 The confession of a passionate heart: in verse 22 min 17 03.04 The confession of a passionate heart: in anecdote 22 min 18 03.05 The confession of a passionate heart: ''Heels up'' 23 min 19 03.06 Smerdyakov 15 min 20 03.07 The controversy 15 min 21 03.08 Over the brandy 20 min 22 03.09 The sensualists 15 min 23 03.10 Both together 32 min 24 03.11 Another reputation ruined 22 min 25 04.01 Father Ferapont 28 min 26 04.02 At his father's 13 min 27 04.03 A meeting with the schooboys 12 min 28 04.04 At the Hohlakovs' 15 min 29 04.05 A laceration in the drawing-room 30 min 30 04.06 A laceration in the cottage 22 min 31 04.07 And in the open air 27 min 32 05.01 The engagement 29 min 33 05.02 Smerdyakov with a guitar 17 min 34 05.03 The bothers make friends 26 min 35 05.04 Rebellion 34 min 36 05.05 The Grand Inquisitor 59 min 37 05.06 For awhile a very obscure one 30 min 38 05.07 ''It's always worth while speaking to a clever man'' 23 min 39 06.01 Father Zossima and his visitors 42 min 40 06.02 The duel 59 min 41 06.03 Conversations and exhortations of Father Zossima 42 min 42 07.01 The breath of corruption 36 min 43 07.02 A critical moment 17 min 44 07.03 An onion 50 min 45 07.04 Cana of Galilee 15 min 46 08.01 Kuzma Samsonov 33 min 47 08.02 Lyagavy 20 min 48 08.03 Gold-mines 33 min 49 08.04 In the dark 16 min 50 08.05 A sudden resolution 40 min 51 08.06 ''I am coming, too!'' 21 min 52 08.07 The first and rightful lover 45 min 53 08.08 Delirium 37 min 54 09.01 The beginning of Perhotin's official career 19 min 55 09.02 The alarm 19 min 56 09.03 The sufferings of a soul, the first ordeal 24 min 57 09.04 The second ordeal 20 min 58 09.05 The third ordeal 29 min 59 09.06 The prosecutor catches Mitya 22 min 60 09.07 Mitya's great secret. Received with hisses 31 min 61 09.08 The evidence of the witnesses. The babe 27 min 62 09.09 They carry Mitya away 11 min 63 10.01 Kolya Krassotkin 15 min 64 10.02 Children 15 min 65 10.03 The schoolboy 20 min 66 10.04 The lost dog 21 min 67 10.05 By Ilusha's bedside 44 min 68 10.06 Precocity 19 min 69 10.07 Ilusha 11 min 70 11.01 At Grushenka's 26 min 71 11.02 The injured foot 28 min 72 11.03 A little demon 17 min 73 11.04 A hymn and a secret 39 min 74 11.05 Not you, not you! 16 min 75 11.06 The first interview with Smerdyakov 28 min 76 11.07 The second visit to Smeryakov 27 min 77 11.08 The third and last interview with Smerdyakov 43 min 78 11.09 The devil. Ivan's nightmare 56 min 79 11.10 ''It was he who said that'' 16 min 80 12.01 The fatal day 20 min 81 12.02 Dangerous witnesses 26 min 82 12.03 The medical experts and a pound of nuts 16 min 83 12.04 Fortune smiles on Mitya 27 min 84 12.05 A sudden catastrophe 28 min 85 12.06 The prosecutor's speech. Sketches of character 29 min 86 12.07 An historical survey 14 min 87 12.08 A treatise on Smerdyakov 28 min 88 12.09 The galloping troika. The end of the prosecutor's speech 32 min 89 12.10 The speech for the defense. An argument that cuts both ways 12 min 90 12.11 There was no money. There was no robbery 19 min 91 12.12 And there was no murder either 24 min 92 12.13 A corrupter of thought 24 min 93 12.14 The peasants stand firm 18 min 94 Ep.1 Plans for Mitya's escape 15 min 95 Ep.2 For a moment the lie becomes truth 22 min 96 Ep.3 Ilusha's funeral. The speech at the stone 28 min
