The Brothers Karamazov (Penguin Classics) by Dostoyevsky, Fyodor; McDuff, David published by Penguin Classics Mass Market Paperback

Some call this book - with good reason - the best novel ever written. Even the author himself realized that he had written something deserving of continuation. Dostoyevsky's death, however, halted these dreams and we can only wonder how it would be possible to top this literary atomic bomb. Why atomic bomb? The power and breadth of The Brother's Karamazov are so huge and so effective - even today - that its power and energy has a half-life that rivals that of deadly nuclear material. Its darkness is so deadly as to suggest that God, as Christ coming back for a semi-return, could be sat down and questioned like a common criminal in the Grand Inquisitor. And, even more deadly, questioned by a member of the clergy. No doubt, however, this is the author himself asking the questions we dare not ask of God, for they are too scandalous for us to even ponder. Amidst the darkness and ludicrous antics of the characters stands a shining figure of Dostoyevsky's hero: Alyosha. Reflecting Prince Myishkin in his other great novel, The Idiot, Dostoyevsky paints a figure of innocence with his colorful words and abundant descriptions. Against Alyosha Ivan and Dimitry are compared and contrasted. Each possesses some hint of their brothers innocence, but reject it in their own personal darkness. Yes, the fallout from this bomb is still felt today, quoted by countless speakers, preachers and teachers. We, the common people, can only stand back and bask in the glow of a literary great. If you haven't read The Brother's Karamazov, you simply have not truly read.

This is yet another masterpiece produced by the literary genius Dostoyevsky. At it's most basic form it could simply be looked upon as a murder mystery, yet the reader will be probed into psychological and philosophical insights through the characters in the novel. It is indeed a literary atomic bomb, as a reviewer mentioned before, but I give it an 8 only because it can not compare to the brilliance that is Crime and Punishment.