The Brothers Karamazov: Part 3.

As I said in a previous post, I am reading The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky with a group of other bloggers. It is being hosted by Dolce Bellezza, who is also providing links to all of our thoughts. We'll be posting every Thursday in April about each part we read that previous week (4 parts in the book). You can read my review of the first part here. And my review of the second part is here.

Well then. I complained that there was no action in the second part and that I was almost bored to death, so I guess I got what i was asking for in the third part.

It begins with the death of Alyosha's elder, Zosimov, and then leads on a frantic pace through the actions of Mitya (Dmitri). Worried about paying back Katerina, Mitya is searching for anyone to give him 3000 roubles to pay her back. He turns to friends and acquaintances in the town to see if anyone will give him the money he desperately needs.

Of course, all this comes back as evidence, as his father, Fyodor, is found murdered in his bedroom and the servant Grigory found wounded in the head. By the time authorities have caught up with Mitya, he is in another town, spending a mysterious 3000 roubles and worried about the injury he inflicted on the old servant in company with Grushenka. As they begin to question him, Mitya confesses to harming the servant, but only expresses surprise at hearing of his father's death.

There are many clues leading them to believe that Mitya is in fact the killer of his father. His father had placed 3000 roubles in an envelope under his pillow, which the police found empty. Fyodor's head was also found bashed in like Grigory's. The other people surrounding the house were either incapacitated or out of town. Everything seems to point to Mitya as the killer.

However, I know that I am questioning whether he did, in fact, murder his father. The swarmy Smerdykov, who was supposedly having multiple epileptic fits, was in the next building. Ivan disappeared out of town (or did he). There are also the two women in the story. While I doubt Grushenka had time to off the old man in the middle of running away with her lovers, it still might be possible. Also, Katerina is no where to be found in the narrative, so why couldn't she be the killer as well?

I suppose I will only know once I finish the fourth part this coming week.

Happy Reading everyone!