strong themes

I don't think novels are meant to take on great themes. The best novels are much more personal than that. Tolstoy though, was able to make great themes personal somehow. 

Dostoevsky kind of does, but when I read him it's more for his portrayal of the personal. I think that's why my favorite novels of his are Demons and The Idiot, rather than The Brothers Karamazov, which is recognized as his best work and everyone loves because of the important themes. 

Now that I think of it, that's probably why I prefer Dostoevsky to Tolstoy, and it's also why my favorite Dickens is David Copperfield, whereas all the experts prefer Bleak House, which kind of bores me to be honest.