The Brothers Karamazov

Name: The Brothers Karamazov
Brand: Penguin Random House UK
Availability: InStock
Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
ISBN: 9780241533222

Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky, David McDuff, David McDuff

Narrator: Luke Thompson

Unabridged: 43 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Published: 08/05/2021

Categories: Fiction, Classic, Literary Fiction, Psychological, Family Life, World Literature

Synopsis

This Penguin Classic is performed by Luke Thompson, best known for his role in the hit Netflix drama Bridgerton. This definitive recording includes an introduction by David McDuff.

A deep, complex examination of the crucial philosophical questions of human existence, from one of the world's most renowned novelists

'The mystery of human existence lies not in staying alive, but in finding something to live for'

The murder of brutal landowner Fyodor Karamazov changes the lives of his sons irrevocably: Mitya, the sensualist, whose bitter rivalry with his father immediately places him under suspicion for parricide; Ivan, the intellectual, driven to breakdown; the spiritual Alyosha, who tries to heal the family's rifts; and the shadowy figure of their bastard half-brother, Smerdyakov. Dostoyevsky's dark masterwork evokes a world where the lines between innocence and corruption, good and evil, blur, and everyone's faith in humanity is tested.

Translated with an Introduction and notes by DAVID McDUFF

'The most magnificent novel ever written' Sigmund Freud

© David McDuff 2003 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

About Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Fyodor Dostoyevsky was born in Moscow in 1821. He died in 1881 having written some of the most celebrated works in the history of literature, including Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and The Brothers Karamazov.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jeffrey on August 10, 2019

If you like your books to move in a linear fashion this book is not for you. It hops around and attention must be paid or you will find yourself flipping back a few pages to reestablish the thread of the story. I took this on a plane flight, crazy right? Not exactly the normal "light" reading I......more

Goodreads review by Michael on December 23, 2018

I'm writing this review as I read. Frankly, I'm astounded by how good this is and how compelling I'm finding it. Astounded? Why should that be? This is a classic, after all. True, but it breaks just about every "rule" of fiction. The plot so far is virtually nonexistent: three brothers get together......more

Goodreads review by Rawley on September 07, 2008

If there was still any doubt, let me confirm that this actually is the greatest book ever written. But be warned that you need to set aside a solid month to get through it. And it's not light reading--this is a dense work of philosophy disguised as a simple murder mystery. But it's well worth the ef......more

Goodreads review by Vit on August 19, 2020

The Brothers Karamazov is the greatest novel… The Brothers Karamazov is the greatest grotesque novel. And I’m afraid my interpretations of it will hardly be very popular. What is God? What is man? And what are their relationships? “You see, I close my eyes and think: if everyone has faith, where does......more

Goodreads review by Kevin on September 02, 2025

"Reading Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov is comparable to pushing a beautiful grand piano up a very steep hill." —Kevin Ansbro Why, oh why, in a world filled with endless opportunities to enjoy oneself, did I think it was a good idea to embark on a 19th-century book that's almost the size of an el......more