It's hard to say anything sufficient about one of the greatest novels ever written. While I thoroughly enjoyed the dark psychology of the hero of Notes From Underground, the longer format and larger cast of characters of a full novel really made me appreciate the full scope of Dostoevsky's insight into the human soul. Here we find what feels like the whole of the human predicament, refracted into so many distinct strands of motivation, from the most petty to the most lofty, not excluding the simple, conformist banality of everything that parades between these in the name of moderation. In fact, we needn't even go so far as considering all of Dostoevsky's psychological insights into the whole cast; the development of the four brothers alone represents a deep look into the way the most diverse perspectives can emerge as solutions to the same inherited problem.
But I don't want to make it sound like The Brothers K is some sort of dry psychological study. It's an absolute page turner that almost doesn't let you catch your breath till you reach the final 'amen'. Dostoevsky combines genres and tones and voices in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat for over 800 pages. For me, the particular highlight of all this variation was Ivan's paired stories -- The Grand Inquisitor and The Devil. These magnificent allegories operate together like some kind of dark refrain worthy of Kafka or Borges. And while Alyosha is ostensibly the hero of the novel and Dmitri its chief victim, for me, it's Ivan I have the most sympathy and respect for. But the beauty of such a rich book is that you may disagree.
#reread
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