The Brothers Karamazov

TheBrothersKaramazov，Dostoevsky'scrowningachievement，isataleofpatricideandfamilyrivalrythatembodiesthemoralandspiritualdissolutionofanentiresociety(Russiainthe1870s).Itcreatedanationalfurorcomparableonlytotheexcitementstirredbythepublication，in1866，ofCrimeandPunishment.ToDostoevsky，TheBrothersKaramazovcapturedthequintessenceofRussiancharacterinallitsexaltation，compassion，andprofligacy.Significantly，thebookwasonTolstoy'sbedsidetablewhenhedied.ReadersineverylanguagehavesinceacceptedDostoevsky'sownevaluationofthisworkandhavegonefurtherbyproclaimingitoneofthefewgreatnovelsofallagesandcountries."TheBrothersKaramazovstandsastheculminationofDostoevsky'sart--hislast，longest，richest，andmostcapaciousbook，"saidTheWashingtonPostBookWorld."NothingisoutsideDostoevsky'sprovince，"observedVirginiaWoolf."OutofShakespearethereisnomoreexcitingreading."TheModernLibraryhasplayedasignificantroleinAmericanculturallifeforthebetterpartofacentury.Theserieswasfoundedin1917bythepublishersBoniandLiverightandeightyearslateracquiredbyBennettCerfandDonaldKlopfer.Itprovidedthefoun-dationfortheirnextpublishingventure，RandomHouse.TheModernLibraryhasbeenastapleoftheAmericanbooktrade，providingreaderswithaffordablehard-boundeditionsofimportantworksofliter-atureandthought.FortheModernLibrary'sseventy-fifthanniversary，RandomHouseredesignedtheseries，restoringasitsemblemtherunningtorchbearercreatedbyLucianBernhardin1925andrefurbishingjackets，bindings，andtype，aswellasinau-guratinganewprogramofselectingtitles.TheModernLibrarycontinuestoprovidetheworld'sbestbooks，atthebestprices.