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Denise S. Robbins's avatar

Fantastic book and great review that also makes me want to revisit brothers K… I got only halfway through it when I was a teen. Have heard some translations are far better than others.

Joel J Miller's avatar

Thanks! The Oliver Ready translation I read came well recommended. I found it very readable, and it gets the critical marks for accuracy. Most of those considerations are well beyond my knowledge, however; I’m thoroughly ignorant of Russian and mostly ignorant of Russian culture. The P&V translation is also well regarded. I’ve heard the Constance Garnett translation, the first English translation(?), is not terribly good.

The Brothers Karamazov has defeated me several times, but I’m almost done with it now—or at least three quarters of the way there. I’m reading the David McDuff translation. Very readable, but not as well regarded as the P&V or some others.

David Perlmutter's avatar

On the animated television series "Rocky and Bullwinkle", bad guy Boris Badenov would use "Raskolnikov!" as a curse word when he got thwarted. That was how I first heard of it- initially I thought it was the Russian version of "Damn!" until I learned of Dostoyevsky later on.

That show's writers liked their hidden jokes- it was also a long time before I learned that Boris' surname was actually a flipped version of the Russian historical warrior figure Boris Godunov!

Joel J Miller's avatar

I loved Rocky and Bullwinkle. And the show only gets better the older you get because the jokes start landing. Boris and Natasha are two of the greatest cartoon creations ever.

David Perlmutter's avatar

Certainly they are among the most aware of the fact that they ARE cartoon characters…

Classic Lit With A Half Wit's avatar

Nailed it with the claustrophobic feel of this book! That's exactly the feeling I got. I just read it for the first time last month and I couldn't put it down. The Russians are just built different. The Kingdom of Cain by Andrew Klavan got me to read this one.

Joel J Miller's avatar

Wasn’t that Klavan book something? I thought it was great.

Classic Lit With A Half Wit's avatar

Oh yeah, it was really good. Love me some Klavan.

Holly A.J.'s avatar

When I read it last year, Raskolnikov's grandiloquence kept reminding me of the internet warriors and influencers who talk big and do sordid little crimes.

Joel J Miller's avatar

Haha! So true. He talks himself in circles.

Robert C Culwell's avatar

Dostoevsky writes inside my head......🪓😬 ❤️‍🩹✍🏼

Robert C Culwell's avatar

μετάνοια on the Riverbank ⛓️❄️😮‍💨✍🏼📚⌛

Grace and peace to you Amigo.....

.....Semper Fortis and God Bless FD! 🌐❤️‍🩹🕊️✍🏼📚

Joel J Miller's avatar

Metanoia indeed. Thanks, man!

Robert C Culwell's avatar

I consider Repentance as THE theme of C&P.