Demons (Penguin Classics)

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If Raskolnikov hypnotised me, and Myshkin made me curse, the Devils have a slower, yet even more powerful impact on my mental equilibrium. While I was reading the previous novels in a frenzy, without any interruptions, I had to take a prolonged break in the middle of this one. I just could not stomach the account of the rape of a child, and the subsequent “confession” of the crime by Stavrogin to a monk. The position of the monk regarding the situation was of such evil that I felt I couldn’t read on. I thought I could deal with the Russian nationalist and orthodox mindset by now, but that was too much. The girl committed suicide out of a religious panic, believing she had “killed God” by being raped. First of all, a little note. I’ve read the book in Russian, and normally I would review it in Russian as well. But I think the Demons are unjustifiably overshadowed in the West by other Dostoevsky novels. So I wanted to write something to change the situation a bit.

seat. ‘Yes,’ said he, ‘… yes, only that,’ he said, ‘cannot affect …’‘Affect what?’ He didn’t finish. Yes, and then he fell to thinking so Demons ( pre-reform Russian: Бѣсы; post-reform Russian: Бесы, tr. Bésy, IPA: [ˈbʲe.sɨ]; sometimes also called The Possessed or The Devils) is a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, first published in the journal The Russian Messenger in 1871–72. It is considered one of the four masterworks written by Dostoevsky after his return from Siberian exile, along with Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880). Demons is a social and political satire, a psychological drama, and large-scale tragedy. Joyce Carol Oates has described it as "Dostoevsky's most confused and violent novel, and his most satisfactorily 'tragic' work." [1] According to Ronald Hingley, it is Dostoevsky's "greatest onslaught on Nihilism", and "one of humanity's most impressive achievements—perhaps even its supreme achievement—in the art of prose fiction." [2] Peter Rollberg (2014) Mastermind, Terrorist, Enigma: Dostoevsky's Nikolai Stavrogin, Perspectives on Political Science, 43:3, 143-152.

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Pyotr Stepanovich meanwhile is very active in society, forming relationships and cultivating conditions that he thinks will help his political aims. He is particularly focused on Julia Mikhaylovna Von Lembke, the Governor's wife. By flattery, surrounding her with a retinue and encouraging her exaggerated liberal ambition, he acquires a power over her and over the tone of her salon. He and his group of co-conspirators exploit their new-found legitimacy to generate an atmosphere of frivolity and cynicism in society. They indulge in tasteless escapades, clandestinely distribute revolutionary propaganda, and agitate workers at the local Spigulin factory. They are particularly active in promoting Julia Mikhaylovna's 'Literary Gala' to raise money for poor governesses, and it becomes a much anticipated event for the whole town. The Governor, Andrey Antonovich, is deeply troubled by Pyotr Stepanovich's success with his wife and casual disregard for his authority, but is painfully incapable of doing anything about it. Unable to cope with the strange events and mounting pressures, he begins to show signs of acute mental disturbance. Pyotr Stepanovich adopts a similarly destabilizing approach toward his father, driving Stepan Trofimovich into a frenzy by relentlessly ridiculing him and further undermining his disintegrating relationship with Varvara Petrovna. Arrival of Nicholas Stavrogin - a very "mysterious and novelistic" personality is awaited. He served in the elite Guards regiment, shot in a duel, and was demoted and then plunged into the wildest licentiousness. Four years ago in his hometown he caused general indignation: had pulled by the nose a venerable man Gaganov, had bitten the ear of the governor, publicly kissed another man's wife. In the end, everything was explained as the delirium tremens. Having recovered, Stavrogin went abroad. The themes explored in The Possessed were so absorbing to Camus that in 1959 he published a three-act stage adaptation, Les Possédés. The play premiered on January 28, 1959 at the Théâtre Antoine in Paris…. In the program handed out at the theater that night, Camus described the novel’s importance: ‘ Les Possédés is one of the four or five works that I rank above all others. In more ways than one, I can say that it has enriched and shaped me.’” Demons: translations in English The final suicide is that of the little girl Matryosha, described by Stavrogin in his confessional letter. After her encounter with Stavrogin, she tells her mother that she has "killed God". When she hangs herself Stavrogin is present in the next room and aware of what she is doing. Matters are further complicated by the arrival of a mysterious "crippled woman", Marya Lebyadkina, to whom Nikolai Vsevolodovich is also rumoured to be connected, although no-one seems to know exactly how.

A chapter called “At Tikhon’s” or “Stavrogin’s Confession” was omitted from the original Russian edition (and subsequent editions) because Dostoevsky’s editor objected to the rather dark subject matter. El principal personaje por el que giran la mayoría de los acontecimientos es Piotr Stepanovich Verjovenski. Con poco sentido de la sensibilidad y bastante inhumano por momentos, su único motivo en la vida es lograr poner en funcionamiento "su causa", su revolución y para ello utilizará todos los recursos y que tenga a mano. Su idea de la revolución está formada hace mucho y la tiene muy estudiada. Para él es tan clara como el agua. Creo que todo el meollo de su doctrina hace eclosión en un capítulo clave, al final de la segunda parte en donde Verjovenski le expone a Stavroguin lo que persigue para poner en marcha su golpe revolucionario: Dostoyevsky is writing the gospels man *. Greatness is not a bolus of achievement or a gout of acclaim. It just is. Each of Dostoyevsky's big novels is a piece that is both infinitely frustrating and beautifully perfect at the same time. There was probably more to love (for me) in Brothers Karamazov, but it didn't flow as easily as Demons, but still gah, still I think I love Demons more. No, Brothers K. No. Gah! Fuertemente criticado por la sociedad literaria rusa en sus tiempo, Dostoievski mantuvo su posición, indicando que escribiría su libro “con fuego”, aunque lo acusaran de retrógrado. Es que en realidad, él comenzó a pertrechar el argumento de su libro a partir de un verdadero grupo nihilista (y aquí hacemos mención del término por primera vez), comandado por el revolucionario Sergéi Necháiev que alrededor de 1849 manda a asesinar a Ivanov, uno de sus miembros más por desobedecer sus órdenes que por soplón.After an almost illustrious but prematurely curtailed academic career Stepan Trofimovich Verkhovensky is residing with the wealthy landowner Varvara Petrovna Stavrogina at her estate, Skvoreshniki, in a provincial Russian town. Originally employed as a tutor to Stavrogina's son Nikolai Vsevolodovich, Stepan Trofimovich has been there for almost twenty years in an intimate but platonic relationship with his noble patroness. Stepan Trofimovich also has a son from a previous marriage but he has grown up elsewhere without his father's involvement. Originally employed as a tutor to Stavrogina's son Nikolai Vsevolodovich, Stepan Trofimovich has been there for almost twenty years in an intimate but platonic relationship with his noble patroness. General commotion ensued; then suddenly an extraordinary event occurred that no one could have anticipated.” Kjetsaa claims that Dostoevsky did not regard Revelation as "merely a consolatory epistle to first century Christians during the persecution they suffered", but as a "prophecy being fulfilled in his own time". [78] Dostoevsky wrote that "Communism will conquer one day, irrespective of whether the Communists are right or wrong. But this triumph will stand very far from the Kingdom of Heaven. All the same, we must accept that this triumph will come one day, even though none of those who at present steer the world's fate have any idea about it at all." [79]

If you want a free ebook, you can get the Garnett translation online because it’s in the public domain. There are also lots of cheap reprints. Influenced by gossip, he begins to suspect that he is being married off to cover up "another man's sins" and writes "noble" letters to his fiancée and Nikolai Vsevolodovich. Escuche. Para empezar provocamos una revuelta —Verjovenski siguió diciendo nerviosamente, agarrando continuamente a Stavroguin de la manga izquierda—. Ya se lo he dicho: llegaremos hasta la plebe. ¿Sabe que ya tenemos una fuerza enorme? Nuestra gente no es sólo la que mata e incendia, la que emplea armas de fuego al estilo clásico o muerde a sus superiores. Ésos sólo son un estorbo. Sin obediencia, las cosas no tienen sentido para mí. Ya ve que soy un pillo y no un socialista. ¡Ja, ja! Escuche, los tengo a todos ya contados: el maestro que se ríe con los niños del Dios de ellos y de su cuna es ya de los nuestros. El abogado que defiende a un asesino educado porque éste tiene más cultura que sus víctimas y tuvo necesariamente que asesinarlas para agenciarse dinero también es de los nuestros. Los escolares que matan a un campesino por el escalofrío de matar son nuestros. Los jurados que absuelven a todo delincuente, sin distinción, son nuestros. El fiscal que tiembla en la sala de juicio porque teme no ser bastante liberal es nuestro, nuestro. Los funcionarios, los literatos, ¡oh, muchos de ellos son nuestros, muchísimos, y ni siquiera lo saben! Además, la docilidad de los escolares y de los tontos ha llegado al más alto nivel; los maestros rezuman rencor y bilis. Por todas partes vemos que la vanidad alcanza dimensiones pasmosas, los apetitos son incr it was all so honourable. Suppose that something really happened … en Suisse… or was beginning. I was bound to question their hearts

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Nikolai Vsevolodovich Stavrogin is the central character of the novel. [26] He is handsome, strong, fearless, intelligent and refined, but at the same time, according to the narrator, there is something repellent about him. [27] Socially he is self-assured and courteous, but his general demeanour is described as "stern, pensive and apparently distracted." [28] Other characters are fascinated by Stavrogin, especially the younger Verkhovensky, who envisions him as the figurehead of the revolution he is attempting to spark. Shatov, on the other hand, once looked up to him as a potentially great leader who could inspire Russia to a Christian regeneration. Disillusioned, he now sees him as "an idle, footloose son of a landowner", a man who has lost the distinction between good and evil. According to Shatov, Stavrogin is driven by "a passion for inflicting torment", not merely for the pleasure of harming others, but to torment his own conscience and wallow in the sensation of "moral carnality". [29] In an originally censored chapter (included as "At Tikhon's" in modern editions), Stavrogin himself defines the rule of his life thus: "that I neither know nor feel good and evil and that I have not only lost any sense of it, but that there is neither good nor evil... and that it is just a prejudice". [30] In a written confession given to the monk Tikhon he tells of a number of crimes, including raping and driving to suicide a girl of only 11 years. He describes in detail the profound inner pleasure he experiences when he becomes conscious of himself in shameful situations, particularly in moments of committing a crime. [31] France, Peter (2000). "Dostoevsky". In Peter France (ed.). The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation. Oxford University Press. p.598. Dostoievski maneja la novela a dos niveles. Por un lado, encontramos la conflictiva relación de Stepan Trofímovich Verjovensky (padre de Piotr Stepánovich) y Várvara Petrovna Stavroguina (madre de Nikolai Stavroguin). Ellos representan las generaciones anteriores, que aunque mayores de edad no son menos complejas en sí que las de los jóvenes. Relaciones de veinte años que a lo largo de la novela adquirirán distintas transformaciones hasta eclosionar en un final totalmente distinto al que leemos en las primeras páginas.

Burnett, Leon (2000). "Dostoevskii". In Olive Classe (ed.). Encyclopedia of Literary Translation Into English. Vol.A–L. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. p.66. By that evening to Shatov arrives his wife Mary, who has left him after two weeks of marriage. She is pregnant and asks for a temporary shelter. A little later a young little officer Erkel comes to report of tomorrow's meeting. At night, his wife goes into labor. He is running for the midwife and then helps her. He is happy and denotes a new working life to his wife and the child. Exhausted Shatov falls asleep and wakes up in the late dark. For him comes Erkel, together they go to the Stavrogin park. There are already waiting Verkhovenskii, Virginskii, Liputin, Lyamshin, Tolkachenko and Shigalev, who suddenly categorically refuses to take part in the murder, because it is contrary to its program.

Varvara Petrovna, insulted by too obvious desire of Stepan Trofimovich to marry and his too frank letter to his son Peter complaining that they want him to marry "in the sins of others", assigns a pension, but at the same time announces about breaking up.