Book Review - The Brothers Karamazov

In The Brothers Karamazov, the author's last book before his death, he attempts to profile the nature of the human mind through the lives of the Karamazovs. The plot is set in one of the small towns of19th century Russia that is in the midst of an industrial and social revolution. Mitya, the eldest son, is shown to be a sensualist and a man of two extremes. Ivan, the second son is portrayed as an intellectual who seeks to alleviate suffering in the world. He is an atheist who believes that God was created by man and as an extension of this belief, claims that "anything is lawful". Alyosha, the third son, is shown as a young man with a pure heart and a spiritual bent of mind who fully believes in the power of God. Apart from the Karamazov brothers, the author also brings into the picture a multitude of other characters as he weaves his story around the murder of the father Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov. The depiction of the Russian society is exquisite as are the monologues and anecdotes used by some of the characters to express their ideas.