Summary
The Brothers Karamazov is Dostoyevsky’s masterpiece—a sweeping, dramatic novel that explores faith, doubt, free will, morality, and the nature of human suffering.
The story revolves around the dysfunctional Karamazov family, particularly the three (possibly four) brothers and their relationships with their debauched, cruel father, Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov.
When Fyodor is murdered, the brothers—each representing different philosophical and emotional archetypes—are pulled into a vortex of suspicion, guilt, and existential questioning:
Dmitri (Mitya): The passionate, impulsive sensualist.
Ivan: The intellectual and atheist, torn by moral dilemmas.
Alyosha: The gentle, spiritual novice monk.
Smerdyakov: The cynical and mysterious servant, who may or may not be Fyodor's illegitimate son.