The Possessed or, The Devils (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781530816781)

The Possessed is an allegory of the potentially catastrophic consequences of the political and moral nihilism that were becoming prevalent in Russia in the 1860s. A fictional town descends into chaos as it becomes the focal point of an attempted revolution, orchestrated by master conspirator Pyotr Verkhovensky. The mysterious aristocratic figure of Nikolai Stavrogin-Verkhovensky's counterpart in the moral sphere-dominates the book, exercising an extraordinary influence over the hearts and minds of almost all the other characters. The idealistic, western-influenced generation of the 1840s, epitomized in the character of Stepan Verkhovensky (who is both Pyotr Verkhovensky's father and Nikolai Stavrogin's childhood teacher), are presented as the unconscious progenitors and helpless accomplices of the 'demonic' forces that take possession of the town.

Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky
ISBN-10: 1530816785
ISBN-13: 9781530816781
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Language: English
Published: 03/31/2016
Pages: 494
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.85lbs
Size: 9.25h x 7.52w x 0.99d