The Brothers Karamazov book cover

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

You’ll have to set aside some serious time for this one.  Brothers Karamazov is a loaded book with tons of ironies and questions to ponder.  I’ve been eyeing this member of my “list” for some time, and was not disappointed.

Dostoevsky weaves a fabulous murder mystery, but that is not the luminescence that shines from this gem.  Nearly every page has a hard-hitting point that relates to life’s purpose, our memories, and our relationships.  Parts of the book get political:

But what comes of this right to increase one’s needs?  For the rich, isolation and spiritual suicide; for the poor, envy and murder, for they have been given rights, but have not yet been shown any way of satisfying their needs.

And other parts deal with our personal struggle with duty and honor:

Brother… you’re not ready, and such a cross is not for you. … Heavy burdens are not for everyone, for some they are impossible.

Anyone who is serious about literature absolutely must give Brothers Karamazov a go.