The Brothers Karamazov Summary
A philosophical musing, The Brothers Karamazov is a novel set in the 19th century in Russia and engages in numerous philosophical themes that makes the book something of a complex read. Written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the setting of the book is Staraya (located in Russia). This is where Dostoevsky wrote the novel and it makes for a bleak backdrop. 
The plot of the book delves into the following literary motifs:
Dostoevsky forces the characters in this novel to encounter moral dilemmas that challenge their faith and make them question their own moral shortcomings as well as that of others in the book. The book was written at a time when Russia was undergoing a massive transition and some of this conflict is demonstrated in the nuances of the book, particularly in its setting.
There are components of the book that are unlike other novels, which is part of what made this a literary masterpiece. The narrator of the story inserts himself into the storyline, which is unusual. There are also times in the novel where the narrator allows one of the other characters to voice the happenings. This can cause confusion at times in keeping up with the change in voice and intonation. However, the way in which Dostoevsky is able to make each character distinct enough to be recognizable, considering the length of the novel, is a literary victory in itself.