Demons

Unique Elements Historical Context Detailed 19th Century Historical Map An Essential Literary Classic by Fyodor Dostoevsky Demons, also titledThe Possessed orThe Devils by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky is a book of literary fiction first published in The Russian Messenger in 1871-72. This edition of the work features the 1916 English translation by Constance Garnett. Read An Excerpt ‘It was a peculiar time; something new was beginning, quite unlike the stagnation of the past, something very strange too, though it was felt everywhere, even at Skvoreshniki. Rumours of all sorts reached us. The facts were generally more or less well known, but it was evident that in addition to the facts there were certain ideas accompanying them, and what’s more, a great number of them. And this was perplexing. It was impossible to estimate and find out exactly what was the drift of these ideas. Varvara Petrovna was prompted by the feminine composition of her character to a compelling desire to penetrate the secret of them.’ Synopsis Loosely based on sensational press accounts of fellow revolutionaries murdering a Moscow student, Demons is an allegory of the catastrophic effects of the moral and political nihilism that was becoming increasingly pervasive in Russia in the 1860s. At its centre is a fictional village which descends into anarchy after the failure of an attempted revolution led by the master conspirator Pyotr Verkhovensky. The story, initially intended to a brief, incisive broadside deploring nihilism, evolved over time to emerge as a dark, satirical full-length novel that paints an astonishingly accurate picture of ideological enslavement, at once both profound and deeply disturbing. Written after Dostoevsky returned from exile in Siberia, it is regarded as one of his four great works, which also include Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov. Title Details English translation by Constance Garnett Literary fiction 6 x 9 in Matte Cover White Paper