Published in 1879 by the legendary Fyodor Dostoevsky, “The Brothers Karamazov” quickly became one of the most irrefutable classics of the Realist era. The novel is highly psychological, being the pinnacle of Dostoevsky’s life work. With the novel, Dostoevsky was able to explore the deepest parts of the human consciousness, exploring exciting motifs, such as social dislocation and symbolic order – these all being factors that come together to create an epic story embodying artistic genius in this unforgettable magnum opus.

The novel is set in European Russia, following the story of the unique life of the Karamazov family. Dmitri Karamazov is locked in a deadly feud with his father, Fyodor Pavlovitch for the love of a woman they both adore, while Dmitri sustains a romance with another woman. His brother, Alexei Karamazov, struggles with his faith in the Orthodox religion, finally contending for the irrefutable existence of God. Antithetically, the final brother, Ivan Karamazov, struggles with his love for the world that he lived in, but is deeply pained that he cannot accept the existence of a grand creator. The inner struggles of the Karamazov family set the scene for a dramatic crime novel that details the great tragedy of one seemingly normal middle-class family.

There is an irrefragable element of symmetry in “The Brothers Karamazov.” By far, it is the most complete novel of Dostoevsky’s because all characters are designed around each other in unusual rigidity – the law of balance disposed in a symbolic order. In the center of the plot there appears Dmitri, the source of action and a passionate, fiery man. Revolving him there is Alexei who is joined to Dmitry by blood but unequivocally quiet and bashful compared to his brother. Then there is Ivan, the educated skeptic, a rationalist. All three are composed in a symmetric order, who bounce and feed off of each other. The father, Fyodor Pavlovitch, despised by them all, is the punching bag of their hate. Each enables each other, finding reasonability and common sense in each other’s stories and personal themes. Other characters revolve around this symposium, seeking and driving the events with it. Due to the beautifully planned nature of the novel, it is often noted as pure literary genius.

Perfect for all who enjoy the dislocation of morality and human values, “The Brothers Karamazov” is a novel that was executed perfectly. There is not a single part that was not intricately planned and detailed in the book that took Russia and the rest of the world by storm. Despite its lengthy page count, there is something for everyone to love on every page.