The Brothers Karamazov is a classic that only gets more timely with the ages. In its account of the murder trial of Fyodor Karamazov, it was the true-crime phenomenon of its day; in its study of how his three archetypally different sons butt heads and come under scrutiny in the wake of his death, it calls to mind any number of modern-day dramas about succession and power struggles. But most significantly, it is an unparalleled exploration of faith and morality, and a probing inquisition into the existence of God and free will. Through this gripping account of this family saga, Dostoevsky paints a portrait of Russia at a pivotal moment in its history-perched perilously between great freedom and great tragedy.
