First published 1879

The Brothers Karamazov

The Brothers Karamazov is Fyodor Dostoevsky's final novel, serialised in The Russian Messenger from 1879 to 1880 and issued as a book in 1880. A patricide plot frames its debate on God, faith and free will. Heinemann published Constance Garnett's English translation in 1912.

Editions tracked: 3
First edition: Brothers Panteleev, 1881
First published: The Russian Messenger (serial), 1879
First UK edition: William Heinemann, 1912

The first edition of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky was published in St Petersburg by Brothers Panteleev in 1881. We track 3 editions.

Editions

Which edition do you have?

First edition

1st Brothers Panteleev1881 Other I own The Brothers Karamazov, Brothers Panteleev 1881 Log in to want this

Later and other editions

We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.

About the book

Awards, adaptations and setting

Adaptations

The Brothers Karamazov film, 1921
The Murderer Dimitri Karamazov film, 1931
The Brothers Karamazov film, 1958
Vasvaseye sheitan film, 1967
The Brothers Karamazov film, 1969
The Brothers Karamazov television series, 1969
Delirium adaptation, 2008
The Karamazovs film, 2008
Oulad El Moukhtar television series, 2019
The Brothers Karamazov television series
The Brothers Karamazov adaptation
The Brothers Karamazov stage play

Setting and characters

Set in: Russian Empire
Characters: Alyosha Karamazov, Fyodor Karamazov, Dmitri Karamazov, Ivan Karamazov, Pavel Smerdyakov, Mikhail Rakitin, Grushenka Svetlova, Father Zosima
Genre: serialized fiction, philosophical fiction

In print

Editions recorded: 488 on Open Library, 330 in English
Wikipedia: Articles in 73 languages
Free to read: Project Gutenberg (out of copyright in the US)

From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.

From Wikimedia Commons

Pictures of the book

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Same author

More by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Everything by Fyodor Dostoyevsky →

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Collecting guides

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All guides

7 min read

How to Identify a First Edition

To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …

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Book Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained

Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …

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Dust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value

For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …

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Questions collectors ask

Frequently asked questions

Who published the first edition of The Brothers Karamazov?

The first edition of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky was published in St Petersburg by Brothers Panteleev in 1881.

How many editions of The Brothers Karamazov are there?

We track 3 editions of The Brothers Karamazov, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.

Has The Brothers Karamazov been adapted?

Yes, including The Brothers Karamazov (film), The Brothers Karamazov (stage play), The Brothers Karamazov (adaptation), according to Wikidata.

What should I read after The Brothers Karamazov?

In order, it follows The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, according to Wikidata.

Can I read The Brothers Karamazov for free?

Yes: the text is out of copyright in the United States and free to read on Project Gutenberg. Collectors still pay for the first edition, which is the physical object, not the words.

Sources

Where these facts come from

The Brothers Karamazov, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
The Brothers Karamazov (Q183157), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
Dostoevsky, Brothers Karamazov, Bauman Rare Books (baumanrarebooks.com)

Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.