第1章

第1章thelastandcrowningworkofdostoevsky’slife,thebrotherskaramazov,firstappearedasaserialinrusskyvistnik,amoscowmagazine,during1879-1880.writtenundercircumstancesofsevereexternalandinternalpressure,eachinstallmentcreatedanationalfurorecomparableonlytotheexcitementstirredbytheappearance,in1866,ofcrimeandpunishment.todostoevskythebrotherskaramazovembodiedthequintessenceofrussiancharacter,inallitsexaltation,compassionandprofligacy.readersineverylanguagehavesinceacceptedhisownevaluationofthisworkandhavegoneevenfurtherbyproclaimingitoneofthefewgreatnovelsofallagesandcountries.

thesonofapenuriousarmysurgeon,dostoevskywaseducatedasamilitaryengineer.afterhisfather’sdeath,herelinquishedwhatevercareerhemighthaveattainedingovernmentserviceforthehazardsofliterature.hisveryfirstwork,ashortnovel,poorfolk,wasimmediatelyacclaimedanddostoevskyfoundhimselffamousovernight.whileattendingameetingofhisliteraryandrevolutionarycolleaguesasaspectator,hewasarrestedbyczaristpoliceandwascondemnedtodeath.afewmomentsbeforethetimefortheexecution,wordcamethathewasreprievedandwastobebanishedtosiberiaforfouryears.afterhisperiodofexile,hewastoserveforlifeintheranksofthearmy.thefamoustenyearsinadeadhousewaswritteninsiberia.withtheaccessionofalexanderii,dostoevskywaspardonedandhewasabletoreturntoacivilianstatus.therefollowedtheessionofnovelswhichhavemadehimknowneverywhere.inspiteofhispositionasamanofletters,hesufferedtheworsthardshipsofeconomicinsecurity.inaddition,frequentattacksofepilepsyandtheeffectsofhisyearsinprisonlefthimacrushedman.hislastyearsweredarkenedbybroodingsorrow.hewithdrewfromliterarycircles,becamereactionaryandembittered.yethispopularitywasthenatitszenith.hisdeathwastheoccasionfornationalmourning,andintheyearsthatfollowedhebecamealmostalegendaryherototherussianmassesasthepoetoftheirsufferingsandaspirations.arevolutionarygenerationmaylookupondostoevskyas“defeatist,”butitungrudginglyproclaimshimoneofthetitansoftheworld’sliterature.