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The Brothers Karamazov
- Penguin Classics
- Narrated by: Luke Thompson
- Length: 43 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
This Penguin Classic is performed by Luke Thompson, best known for his role in the hit Netflix drama Bridgerton. This definitive recording includes an introduction by David McDuff.
The murder of brutal landowner Fyodor Karamazov changes the lives of his sons irrevocably: Mitya, the sensualist, whose bitter rivalry with his father immediately places him under suspicion for parricide; Ivan, the intellectual, driven to breakdown; the spiritual Alyosha, who tries to heal the family's rifts; and the shadowy figure of their bastard half-brother, Smerdyakov. Dostoyevsky's dark masterwork evokes a world where the lines between innocence and corruption, good and evil, blur and everyone's faith in humanity is tested.
Translated with an introduction and notes by David McDuff.
Critic reviews
"The most magnificent novel ever written." (Sigmund Freud)
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What listeners say about The Brothers Karamazov
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Wine2you2me
- 09-08-21
Mind blowing narration
WOW is Luke Thompson’s narration amazing! He’s the most underrated actor ever!!! I don’t know how someone can do so many hours of work and sound consistent through all of it. Please keep going!
2 people found this helpful
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- Benjamin Closier
- 02-06-22
Best narrator I’ve ever heard
I am not even half way through the book and I had to stop and highlight how the narrator brings out the genius of this book. He makes every word bring out their true nuance of anger, love, philosophy and humour which you would definitely miss upon your own reading. Every character is fantastically voiced and everything fits.
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- Ben Waterhouse
- 07-04-22
Incredible voice acting adds so much
The best narration - adds so much to the dialogue, brings out meaning and makes it easier to follow. The voices and accents are brilliant! Adds so much to an incredible book. The narrator deserves awards for this!
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- Anonymous User
- 01-04-22
Brilliant!
I have attempted to get through this book in paperback a few times but couldn’t find the time or motivation to deal with it. Finally got round to listening to this audio version and highly recommend it.
Although the story, in my opinion, isn’t as gripping as Crime and Punishment, it is excellent. Luke Thompson is a great narrator and does bring the characters to life well.
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- Anonymous User
- 21-02-22
Unpredictable and Terrifying
This book is a madness :0 good performance and I like the northern accents and polish blokes
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- Kindle Customer
- 10-12-21
Great performance of a great book
just wanted to say that Luke Thompson is unbelievable. His performance of the characters is outstanding, and he deserves awards and plaudits. His evocation of Fyodor Karamazov is extremely memorable. He elevates a classic in world literature to even higher heights.
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- Mr B Islam
- 24-11-21
Wonderful performance
The book is of course a masterpiece which I have read four times and gained something on each reading. What stands out here is the reader's superb delivery and range of voices.
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- Ragena Mae Brown
- 17-10-21
Fix an error near the end of chapter 7.
The text repeats and overlaps. I've listened to the section twice and I'm convinced it is an error in editing, not in the audio player.
5 people found this helpful
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- k2md1
- 16-09-21
Best narration + translation so far
This is a newer release and didn't have many reviews when I chose it, but after sampling the Luke Thompson narration it seemed promising. Which translation to choose for The Brothers Karamazov is a subject of debate, but the McDuff translation is good and well suited to an audio performance. I had been meaning to go back to this book for years and this made it so much more accessible than any version I had tried. Thank you!
5 people found this helpful
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- Calemos
- 31-10-21
Had really great moments that made it worth it.
Most of the novel is tedious, it's so hard to follow the long winded dialogue between the various characters, sometimes it seems they just mumble on about nothing but maybe I'm just dumb I don't know; BUT THEN, you are all of a sudden smacked in the face by a beautiful and amazing 40 minutes that make you cry and clap at the end. there are about 5 parts of the book that made me cry the literature was so good. Elder zosima memoir, The Grand Inquisitor, alyosha's epiphany after zosimas death, Ivan's conversation with the devil, and the funeral at the end, all made me clap for joy at the end of these parts. The trial was dramatic but the two speeches flew right over my head I couldn't keep up.
the whole novel is worth listening to just to get to these parts. I look forward to watching some YouTube videos/lectures that unpack this one for me a little bit, I most definitely had trouble, just be warned it's a good read and it should keep you all 40 hours but it is not a casual read there is a lot to unpack.
2 people found this helpful
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- Matthew Kotys
- 17-06-22
Wonderful Read
The voice actor obviously had a solid understanding of the author's intent. Such a brilliant performance, I look forward to listening again!
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- Justine F.
- 15-05-22
Masterful reading! Truly impressive.
I have loved Dostoyevsky since I was young, yet had never read the Brothers Karamazov, which I had heard was one of his masterpieces, combining all the themes of his earlier works.
I was instantly struck by how much the reader added to this long and winding tale. He uses different voices and accents (English regional analogs to Russian linguistic geographies) throughout, and he manages to make each sound unique, and embellishes enough non-verbal vocalizations that add immense character to a classic novel that is teeming with characters.
I think it takes a lot of confidence and gusto to imbue so much personality into these famous fictional characters, and Mr. Thompson seems to treat it like a Royal Shakespearean Thespian, but not in a bombastic or overdone way. I am a huge fan of audio books, and Luke Thompson’s performances in this one is truly a tour de force. I would say he does nearly as much heavy lifting as the translator, who also does an amazing job. Of course, I have only heard one translation, but a spot comparison seemed to indicate that this McDuff version is better than the older more commonly found one.
Anyway, kudos to all who were involved in producing this work. Rendering one of the all time world’s best writer’s masterpiece unto sound is no small task, and you all rose to the very high occasion. I salute you!
Here’s to hoping that you tackle many more classics in the future.
Ian F.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-05-22
greatest novel of all time
He is the father of steel man arguments. The genius of this man is hard to grasp.
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- Zechariah Matis
- 26-02-22
Great narrator
Great book. Great narrator. I did not like the book as much as Crime and Punishment, but still with the long listen.
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- Thomas Wynne
- 24-11-21
Top notch narration
This feels like the most important book I’ll ever read (or listen to), but some of the other narrations don’t do it justice. This guy is fantastic. One of those narrators that puts the character in voice: the depraved (yet somehow the most likable) father, the seamlessly honest youngest brother, the cold and lost middle, and the rash romantic oldest. He hits the notes really well and seemed to enjoy himself.
Fantastic job. Now I have another audible Dostoyevsky gem along with the Anthony Heald Crime and Punishment.
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- Erwin H. Klingenberg
- 18-11-21
Classic Book, Great Narrator
The Brothers Karamozov is a classic that the average reader will most likely struggle through because of its length and its complexity. That being said it is a shame because Dostoyevsky touches on so many areas that the modern reader should ponder. This is where Thompson's narration and McDuff's translation really helps. Thompson's narration is fantastic, brings the book to life, and will definitely help the reader through this book.