The Brothers Karamazov
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevskyby Fyodor Dostoevsky
Hacker ApprovedRanked 2 of 122 novels by recommenders
Readers praise its vivid characters, psychological depth and enjoyable reading; the length, many names and slow pace are the common complaints.
Readers praise its vivid characters, psychological depth and enjoyable reading; the length, many names and slow pace are the common complaints.
36 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 28
- criticize it
- 8
- approval share
- 78%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 28 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 3.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Favorite or great book
“"The Brothers Karamazov" is my favorite book of all time, and I always find it quite an easy and enjoyable read.”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “It’s topping The Idiot for me- and a fitting way to end the year.”
Comment from 26 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” “My favorite Dostoyevsky is The Brothers Karamazov.”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” - Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult”
- Comment from 29 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?”
Easy, enjoyable read
“"The Brothers Karamazov" is my favorite book of all time, and I always find it quite an easy and enjoyable read.”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?” “they read like my own thoughts from the very start and I never had any trouble finishing”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” “Now I'm back reading The Brothers Karamazov and it's instantly captivating!”
Comment from 26 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” - Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult”
Rich themes worth slow unpacking
“Maybe in terms of how navel-gazey it is, but the themes are not at all young adult.”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” “There is so much to unpack, which requires very slow treatment.”
Comment from 26 Dec 2025 in “Maybe the Default Settings Are Too High”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Difficult and exhausting to read
“I also found it rough to get through”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” “I've taken several stabs at it over the years but I always give up in exhaustion.”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” “"The Brothers Karamazov" was especially difficult.”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” Less enjoyable than other Dostoyevsky
“I think of all the Dostoyevsky works the Brothers is the least enjoyable one”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” “I have never read a book I hated more than The Brothers Karamazov.”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor DostoevskyThis page | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Atlas Shruggedby Ayn Rand | 23 | 31 | 43% | 7 | — | — |
What people said
32 of the 38 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I can't say that Brothers K. gave me any of this”
“the length and some parts where I found it a bit less interesting”
“"The Brothers Karamazov" is my favorite book of all time, and I always find it quite an easy and enjoyable read.”
“it stays with you for a long time”
“I'm appreciating the way all the characters are bursting with life and feeling.”
“This one is a massive banger.”
“Now I'm back reading The Brothers Karamazov and it's instantly captivating!”
“Unlike Nabokov I don't think it detracts from the work.”
“P&L try to really bridge the contextual gap with a lot of footnotes/endnotes.”
“when you pick up Crime and Punishment, Anna Karenina, War and Peace, The Brothers Karamazov, or Dead Souls”
“it is one of those "great" books”
“Maybe in terms of how navel-gazey it is, but the themes are not at all young adult.”
“they read like my own thoughts from the very start and I never had any trouble finishing”
“"The Brothers Karamazov" was especially difficult.”
“keeping track of all of the names is just so dizzying and distracting”
“the 'pointless' book with its plot that went nowhere”
“I think of all the Dostoyevsky works the Brothers is the least enjoyable one”
“Read Brothers Karamazov in Norm's voice makes it so much more entertaining”
“it's good to have something a bit more jovial and dry witted”
“I've taken several stabs at it over the years but I always give up in exhaustion.”
“To me, it boils down to a love affair/triangle and case of mistaken identity and ultimate justice.”
“I also found it rough to get through”
“Try the Ignat Avsey translation, it’s great”
“one of them edits without even knowing Russian”
“Ivan's portrayal and brain fever always struck me as a cop out”
“I haven't felt the same level of internal revelation as the previous novels.”
“I'm about 600 pages in and its picking up at least.”
“I have never read a book I hated more than The Brothers Karamazov.”
“My favorite Dostoyevsky is The Brothers Karamazov.”
“the psychological model of humans in that book is still more sophisticated than what we use in most social science today”
“It’s topping The Idiot for me- and a fitting way to end the year.”
“There is so much to unpack, which requires very slow treatment.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.