Dostoevsky, or Three Things to Love About
The Brothers Karamazov

Blogger's Note: Three long summers (and three even longer winters) ago, I agreed to my friend Jacqui's challenge to read 15 Classics in 15 Weeks. I have since read 10 of 15, this being my tenth from the list. The last one, Homer's The Odyssey took 11 months, not because it was overly long or monotonous, but because it required a level of mental engagement I couldn't always give it. The same is true for this one, which has taken me more than a year...

I literally just finished The Brothers Karamazov and logged into this blog with a tear in my eye. It has not managed to displace Steinbeck's East of Eden as perhaps my favorite book ever (thus far) — but I imagine it will prove to be a 936-page seed that will germinate, slowly grow, and bear fruit years from now. It will stick with me, I have no doubt. Without further ado, Three Things to Love about The Brothers Karamazov:

You might ask, would I recommend it? I might reply: in general, or to you, specifically? I don't know how to answer, so for now, I will say that I enjoyed it very much, and that it rewards persistence. It is a great book.

I have another, contemporary novel to knock out before I proceed, but it should be a quicker read. Next on this long-running (and long-overdue) challenge will be a book not on my original list of 15, but one recommended by my good friend Fr. Tyler at Prairie Father: Brideshead Revisited. Fr. Tyler, incidentally, recently wrote this wonderful review of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment.

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