If I were to read just one book by Tolstoy and one book by Dostoevsky, which ones should I read?

Tolstoy - Anna Karenina

Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov

I would go for Crime and Punishment, the most gripping novel I've ever read. One to avoid imho is The Idiot which I tried recently. Brothers Karazamov is good too

I’ve started Karamazov twice and bailed each time. Not very enjoyable nor engaging.

I don't think I've ever given up on a book. I just finished Middlemarch which took me all summer. The toughest slog I can remember was Grossman's 1000 page Stalingrad but I still finished it :-)

House of the Dead is the Dostoyevsky book I would choose. It's not breezy, like all Russian authors its long-winded and gets bogged down in symbalism and rambling descriptive dialogue, but at least the narrative is clear and the story is really interesting. Brothers Karazamov is impenetrable and Crime and Punishment is similar to House of the Dead but just goes on and on and on. If you get thru House of the Dead THEN read Crime and Punishment, it's a good follow-up.

I don't know why you would only want to read one novel from each of these authors, but these are the two I'd pick.

For Dostoevsky read Crime and Punishment. It's more mature than his early works, a more fluid story than the idiot, and not as huge a tome as the brothers Karamazov. It's thrilling and psychologically devastating.

For Tolstoy read the death of Ivan ilyich. It's a short novella but has everything that makes Tolstoy great compacted into a small volume.

I would start with Crime & Punishment and War & Peace.

War and Peace.

I read crime & punishment in my mid 20s. Put me in a funk for a few years actually. F&&ked with my mind in ways I wasnt ready for - but it is a good book. Brothers might be my favorite book. Read it my 20s ,30s & 40s. Enjoyed it all three times and found it an easy read - as in I didnt have to reread passages or go mind blank while trying to read. The Idiot was ok but not as good as other two

If you’re interested in alternatives:

1. Hero of Our Time: Lermontov

2. Zhivago: Pasternak

3. A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich: Solzhenitsyn

Did a degree in Russian, spent a bit of time in the USSR. Read countless books in both Russian and English. These are the 3 that have stuck with me, each for different reasons.

Make sure you pick a decent translation no matter what books you go with. Pevear and Volkonsky (sp?) were the best when I was reading that crap, but it has been a while.

Death of Ivan Illych is a great place to start with Tolstoy. A guy bruises his kidney, or something. It gets infected, and he has an existential crisis as the issue progresses.

A classic, and only maybe 100 pages, so not torture to finish if you do not care forit.

I agree with #1 and # 3. I haven't read #2.

I'd add Turgenenev, Fathers and Sons.

As for the OP's two authors: Crime and Punishment and War and Peace.

This was my favorite genre from age 16 - 22 (40 years ago). Don't get to read as much for pleasure, any more. :(

War and Peace for Tolstoy, but I haven't read any of his other novels, so take that with a grain of salt. Anna Karenina is obviously also fairly revered.

In regards to Dostoyesvsky, I got the most enjoyment out of Crime and Punishment, but if you don't want to commit to 600+ pages right away, Notes from Underground (a novella) is also great and is likely to grab you straight away.

I loved Crime and Punishment and really enjoyed The Brothers K & Anna K. War & Peace was a bit too turgid for me.

Since all are long I found it helpful to set a page goal (50 pages) 4-5x per week to make sure I kept progressing through the story. This helped me actually finish them in a timely manner and remember what I had previously read the days prior.

I have only read one by both authors.

Crime and Punishment as part of AP Lit. Well worth reading but like many books, perhaps harder to appreciate if you just read it on your own.

Anna Karenina - read this one on my own as an adult and enjoyed it. Definitely worth reading.

Really, these are two acclaimed authors. You can't go wrong. Don't be afraid to look for notes or internet commentary to give you insight.

The first half of Karamazov is incredible, though the second half would have benefitted from a stronger editor. Fr. Zossima, Alyosha, and the Grand Inquisitor dialogue are all incredible. I found The Idiot to be incredible for its portrayal of frustrated relationships and pained psyches.

For Tolstoy, no one has recommended his novella Father Sergius. Really interesting depiction of pride, humility, spirituality, and sin.

I went through a period when I read most of Dostoevsky's novels. My favorite was the Brothers Karamazov, which I read three times. This is my most favorite book, followed by One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez.

Anna Karenina’s Crime and Her Punishment.

Family Happiness and A Gentle Creature are amazing quicker reads by those authors.