[Gráinne]

The Brothers Karamazov

Like The Jerry Springer Show set in late Tsarist Russia.

The story follows Fyodor Karazamov, his three (probably four) sons, and the women they get mixed up with.

Oldest son Dmitri is engaged but falls for Grushenka, who is also seeing his father.

Middle son Ivan is brilliant and has several key scenes in the book but starts falling for Dmitri's fiance and slips into madness as a result.

Alyosha, the youngest of the "definite" sons, is in a monastery and has the highest moral compass of the entire bunch. He oversees a scene where some boys are throwing rocks at another boy, an event that throws him into spiritual and moral distress for the rest of the book. So does the death of his beloved mentor fairly early on.

Smerdyakov is a servant but it's pretty much a given that he is Fyodor's son.

This is a Russian novel, so no one comes out right. The key event is a Perry Mason-like murder, where most of the characters had motive. Should you wade into this book, don't get attached to the boy whom the bullies were throwing rocks at.

All that said, I love it. Anna Karenina on deck.