The Brothers Karamazov is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, and is generally considered the culmination of his life's work. Set in 19th-century Russia, The Brothers Karamazov is a murder mystery, passionate philosophical novel. The story revolves around the murder of Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov the father of the Karamazov brothers-a debauched man who leads a hedonistic life and excels in the art of seducing women. A spiritual drama of sorts, the story of Fyodor and his three sons from different wives, embodies Dostoevsky's philosophy and delves into debates on morality, free will and God. Dostoevsky's hero Alyosha was named after his own son who died of epilepsy at the age of three in 1878. The qualities that Dostoevsky admired in his son are reflected in the eponymous character, created and developed as a cathartic process.