The palette of ideas entertained in this book and the dialogs that flesh them out mean that Brothers Karamazov stands up to repeated reading. The chapter entitled The Grand Inquisitor gets the most most attention but, for me, at least two other chapters delve into some exceptional disquisitions: the chapter on Father Zossima, and the later chapter enclosing the conversation between Ivan and his "friend," sitting in the parlor.

The characters give the narrative added power. The the most distinctively drawn character is that of Father Zossima; the exquisite sketch Dostoyevsky draws of a genuinely caring man who embodies all that's right and wise in people is one I've never seen duplicated.

The book's femme fatale, Grushenka, bears notice. The image the author gives us of her letting her foot be kissed endures in my mind; her work with Samsonov gave her the freedom of action the novel needed, lending the novel a lot of its space.

One other memorable character was Smerdyakov, who, speaking for himself, caught my sympathy more than the author may have intended. The many voices of the book work together, in fact, to build the story of this single novel.

Tech buffs will enjoy the roles the railroad and telegraph play. A discussion of the state of scientific knowledge in the late 1800's also enlivens the latter part of the book for 21st-century readers.

The book lives up to its billing as one of the best in literature.