Ethan Mintmire’s Reviews > The Brothers Karamazov > Status Update

SPOILER:
Wow. The scene between Lise and Alyosha was incredibly entertaining. I followed every syllable of their dialogue. Mrs. Khoklakov’s reaction to it did surprise me, I maybe need to reread or look up why she reacted the way she did. I’m totally roped into Snegirev’s character though. Some small part of me wants to pray for him even though he’s a literal character in a book.

The scene between Alyosha and Snegirev was a potent scene depicting how destitution and misfortune can invoke vice in the same way vanity and success can. This was a sad scene. It also demonstrates the power cruelty has to ruin lives, I say referring to Dmitri assaulting Snegirev. There are huge honor-shame culture dynamics portrayed in this chapter as well.

SPOILER ALERT:
The story is setting up a lot of questions about the visiting monk to the monestary, what’s going to happen between Dmitry and Fyodor, who is this boy who bit Alyosha’s finger? Probably the son of the man who dmitri beat up so bad. I think Katerina is bad news. The only person I trust are Mrs Khoklakov and Alyosha. But idk the story is moving a little slow right now.

This story is absolutely enthralling. I wish I could take just 5 days and read all the way through the rest of it.

The introduction story of Smerdyakov was so fascinating. Lizaveta is yet another example of how masterfully Dostoevsky can craft a complicated character who stirs the reader’s curiosity. With every introduction of a character, Dostoevsky earns another 1000 pages of committed, attentive reading from his reader. This story is wonderfully complex.

In response to Alyosha requesting his consent to go live at the monestary, Fyodor Karamazov delivers a, duplicitous, and eerie monologue about how Alyosha is so pure and cannot be sullied about anything. Ending with this shivering line:
“You’ll get over it and come back to me.. you’re the only one who hasn’t condemned me.”
“He [Fyodor] was wicked and sentimental.”

It sounded manipulative to me.

The author has presented the characters in a fascinating way. Dmitri (or Mitya), the rebel, Ivan the scholastic, and Alexei (idk I’m on chapter 4 now) are a very intriguing trio. Fyodor Alexandrovich Karamazov has married Adelaida Miusov and Sofia Vorokhov and is a pitiful man and father who lives off attention, receiving good and bad attention indiscriminately. I’m curious to learn more about Father Karamazov.