The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Short summary

5 seconds

Alyosha Karamazov is a young righteous man who is trying to save his family from destructive passions. But his older brother is undeservedly accused of killing his father, and the middle brother goes mad.

1 minute

There are three brothers in the Karamazov family: the older Dmitry, who hates his father, the middle Ivan, who ponders philosophical questions, and the young righteous Alyosha. Alexei tries to help the family cope with their passions.

Dmitri tells Alyosha how he is torn between two women — Katerina Ivanovna and Grushenka. The first is a respectable girl and is considered to be Dmitri’s bride. He took advantage of her money and is ashamed of it. But his real passion is for Grushenka, for whom their father, Fyodor Pavlovich, also has plans.

Ivan retells Alyosha his novel «The Grand Inquisitor» and discusses religious issues. Alyosha knows from his father that he is in love with Katerina.

Fyodor Pavlovich is killed by his pupil Smerdyakov. Dmitry is accused of murder and sentenced to hard labor. Ivan becomes insane. Smerdyakov commits suicide.