The Brothers Karamazov: Penguin Classics
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The Brothers Karamazov: Penguin Classics Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,959 ratings
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Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by Luke Thompson, best known for his role in the hit Netflix drama Bridgerton. This definitive recording includes an introduction by David McDuff.

The murder of brutal landowner Fyodor Karamazov changes the lives of his sons irrevocably: Mitya, the sensualist, whose bitter rivalry with his father immediately places him under suspicion for parricide; Ivan, the intellectual, driven to breakdown; the spiritual Alyosha, who tries to heal the family's rifts; and the shadowy figure of their bastard half-brother, Smerdyakov. Dostoyevsky's dark masterwork evokes a world where the lines between innocence and corruption, good and evil, blur and everyone's faith in humanity is tested.

Translated with an introduction and notes by David McDuff.

Previous page
  1. Listening Length
    43 hours and 6 minutes
  2. Author
    Fyodor Dostoyevsky, see all
  3. Narrator
    Luke Thompson
  4. Audible release date
    August 5, 2021
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  7. ASIN
    B08YRXTVC5
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 43 hours and 6 minutes
Author Fyodor Dostoyevsky, David McDuff - translator
Narrator Luke Thompson
Audible.com Release Date August 05, 2021
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B08YRXTVC5
Best Sellers Rank #1,559 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#11 in Psychological Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)
#32 in Classic Literature
#76 in Psychological Thrillers (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
2,959 global ratings
TINY FONT
5 Stars
TINY FONT
The story is phenomenal. The font is sooo tiny though. You’ll probably need a magnifying glass to read it.
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Top reviews from the United States

LongLiveLibraries245
5.0 out of 5 stars Complex and brilliant
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2016
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This novel was long, philosophical, and complex--and absolutely worth the amount of time I spent reading it. It turned out to be far more than just a mystery of who killed Fyodor, the morally debauched Karamazov patriarch. The Brothers Karamazov is also an intense character study, a love story, and--above all--a novel of ideas.

Those who have read Dostoevsky's other works will see some familiar themes in this novel--themes of redemption, guilt, and suffering, as well as what drives people to heinous crimes such as murder. Religious questions are also explored in-depth, such as the existence of God and the ultimate source of morality. Of course, Dostoevsky did slip in some of the "hot" philosophical topics of his day--such as the theory of socialism--but all the ideas explored in this book are timeless.

One of my most favorite aspects of this book was how well-developed all of the characters were, especially the three Karamazov brothers Dmitri (Mitya), Ivan, and Alyosha (as well as their illegitimate half-brother Smerdyakov). Dostoevsky really got into their minds, developing their personalities and mindsets until they practically jumped living and breathing off the page. He also used their characters as a vehicle to explore the various philosophical and religious ideas mentioned above. This depth is something I generally love about literature, and it was done particularly well in this book.

In short, this is a behemoth of a book. Not a beach read by any stretch of the imagination, and not something relaxing to sit down to after a long and stressful day. However, it is a work of emotional and intellectual genius, driven by complex characters and riveting ideas. It will make you think. Highly, highly recommended.

I also posted this review on Goodreads.
14 people found this helpful
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M. F. Crowl
5.0 out of 5 stars The Kindle edition I've just read is pretty badly formatted
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016
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The Kindle edition I've just read is pretty badly formatted, with frequent missing or misplaced quotation marks, some typos, and a lot of bad paragraphing. Dostoyevsky transcends it all, of course.

What can anyone say that's new about it? Even for a 19th century novel, it's a curious book: full of long speeches and dialogues, and full of hysterical women: Grushenka is perhaps the least hysterical, but she has her moments; her rival Katya swings wildly back and forth between sanity and rage; Madame Hohlakov never stops talking, never listens to anyone else; and her daughter Lise, supposedly disabled, is quite frenetically strange in her passions: when we last hear of her it’s as if she’s heading downhill into some evil.

There are times when I felt I missed some vital point, or when what one character says appears to contradict what another says. In fact it’s full of contradictions between people, so that the truth is hard to gauge. But this is part of Dostoyevsky's cunningly-crafted mystery. Nothing's quite as you expect.

There are some violent scenes, particularly as the book progresses ˗ more in terms of character than physical violence ˗ and there’s an underlying sense of horror when Mitya goes racing about trying to borrow money. The last hundred pages or more, leading up to the murder, and during the trial, are terrific. And all the history of the elder, Zossima, while it seems unrelated to the book as a whole, is fascinating stuff. I'm certainly glad I persevered with it this time round (I last tried to read it about forty years ago.)
4 people found this helpful
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Ann Norman
4.0 out of 5 stars Unique combination of philosophy and drama
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2023
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I read this book in my early 20s at the insistence of a friend (who I later married) and was quite impressed. By age 60, my son was raving about the book, so a second person begged me to read it (again). I couldn’t remember anything about the book except that I was impressed (and one snippet from a speech by the atheist character Ivan). I am an atheist. So I read the book, which is part murder mystery, and everything was a surprise to me. The book gets off to a slow start but gets rolling about 10% of the way through. The characters are compelling, the plot twists surprising, and most of the book consists of different pairs of main characters having long deep discussions with each other. It actually reminds me most of the movie Tar or masterpieces by Kim Stanley Robinson, which also feature long deep conversations between characters, and not one viewpoint directly imposed. If there is one main philosophical point being made, I can not tell you for sure what it was because the arguments between characters are so strong on both sides, and the plot so nuanced. But you are left with many strong conflicting arguments and impressions to ponder. Two of the strongest impressions being Ivan’s devastating critique of the Catholic Church and Alyosha’s example of loving and helping others in the here and now, whoever they may be. There is some difficulty reading the book relating to the fact that the book is from a completely different time period and place I otherwise know nothing about, but that can also be treated as a positive feature if you take that learning attitude. The four stars instead of five acknowledges this difficulty. But if you have the time and patience this is a book that could very well impact your life.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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LUIZ DE BRITO
5.0 out of 5 stars Bom livro
Reviewed in Brazil on June 22, 2023
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Ótimo livro, para se ler minuciosamente.
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Bitmag
5.0 out of 5 stars Memorable read
Reviewed in India on December 11, 2023
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No praise is high enough for this literary gem. One of Dostoyevsky’s best novels, The Brothers Karmazov is a great novel and has some memorable characters. Lovers of good literature should not miss this classic.
5 people found this helpful
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melinda valerie tombs
5.0 out of 5 stars Draws you right in.
Reviewed in Canada on February 12, 2021
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My favorite author
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Will
5.0 out of 5 stars classic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2023
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Lots to think about and digest regarding human nature. Is a deserved classic that is well worth a read no doubt
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Jenifer Osterwalder
5.0 out of 5 stars The size of book and print size is very good
Reviewed in Germany on January 16, 2023
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For such a long book I wanted to order a copy that was not too condensed in size and where the type face was a good size and not too small. Luckily this fits the bill. I was hoping that because it was a bit more expensive than other versions it would be this way. This runs around 650 pages and fits well in my hands and it is not a struggle to read as the print size is not too small. The story is fantastic but I am sure you already know this.
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