Summary
Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Possessed (1872), sometimes titled The Devils or Demons, is a dark political and philosophical novel exploring the destructive power of radical ideologies.
Set in a small Russian provincial town, the story follows a group of young revolutionaries led by the nihilistic Pyotr Verkhovensky, who manipulates others into acts of violence and chaos in the name of political change.
At the center is Nikolai Stavrogin, a mysterious and tormented aristocrat whose ambiguous morality and inner emptiness exert a dangerous influence on those around him.
Through a mix of satire, tragedy, and psychological depth, Dostoyevsky portrays how radicalism, atheism, and unchecked intellectual movements can tear apart communities, destroy lives, and corrupt the human soul.
More than a political novel, it is a profound meditation on morality, free will, and the spiritual void left by the decline of traditional values in 19th-century Russia.