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The Possessed: Dostoevsky's Explosive Political and Psychological Epic of Revolution and Ruin
Ideals ignite. Chaos follows. And no soul escapes untouched.
The Possessed is Fyodor Dostoevsky's most incendiary novel—an intense, prophetic narrative of political extremism, nihilism, and the terrifying consequences of radical ideology. Based on real events and set in a provincial Russian town, the story follows a circle of revolutionaries who descend into madness, betrayal, and violence under the sway of fanaticism.
With piercing psychological insight and moral urgency, Dostoevsky explores the breakdown of faith, the rise of ideology, and the perilous hunger for power. As disturbing as it is profound, The Possessed is a masterwork of philosophical fiction and political prophecy.
📘 This Edition
✔ Complete and unabridged text
✔ Kindle-optimized formatting with interactive table of contents
✔ Ideal for readers of political fiction, Russian literature, and psychological drama
💬 What Readers
"Dark, brilliant, and frighteningly relevant."
"Dostoevsky at his most political—and prophetic."
"One of the most disturbing novels ever written about human belief and destruction."
📥 Download The Possessed today and enter the fevered mind of revolution and moral collapse.
The Possessed is Fyodor Dostoevsky's most incendiary novel—an intense, prophetic narrative of political extremism, nihilism, and the terrifying consequences of radical ideology. Based on real events and set in a provincial Russian town, the story follows a circle of revolutionaries who descend into madness, betrayal, and violence under the sway of fanaticism.
With piercing psychological insight and moral urgency, Dostoevsky explores the breakdown of faith, the rise of ideology, and the perilous hunger for power. As disturbing as it is profound, The Possessed is a masterwork of philosophical fiction and political prophecy.
📘 This Edition
✔ Complete and unabridged text
✔ Kindle-optimized formatting with interactive table of contents
✔ Ideal for readers of political fiction, Russian literature, and psychological drama
💬 What Readers
"Dark, brilliant, and frighteningly relevant."
"Dostoevsky at his most political—and prophetic."
"One of the most disturbing novels ever written about human belief and destruction."
📥 Download The Possessed today and enter the fevered mind of revolution and moral collapse.
817 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 9, 2025
3 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Fyodor Dostoevsky
3,259 books73.1k followers
Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский
(Russian)
Works, such as the novels Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880), of Russian writer Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevski combine religious mysticism with profound psychological insight.
Very influential writings of Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin included Problems of Dostoyevsky's Works (1929),
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky composed short stories, essays, and journals. His literature explores humans in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century and engages with a variety of philosophies and themes. People most acclaimed his Demons(1872) .
Many literary critics rate him among the greatest authors of world literature and consider multiple books written by him to be highly influential masterpieces. They consider his Notes from Underground of the first existentialist literature. He is also well regarded as a philosopher and theologian.
(Russian: Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский) (see also Fiodor Dostoïevski)
Works, such as the novels Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880), of Russian writer Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevski combine religious mysticism with profound psychological insight.
Very influential writings of Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin included Problems of Dostoyevsky's Works (1929),
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky composed short stories, essays, and journals. His literature explores humans in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century and engages with a variety of philosophies and themes. People most acclaimed his Demons(1872) .
Many literary critics rate him among the greatest authors of world literature and consider multiple books written by him to be highly influential masterpieces. They consider his Notes from Underground of the first existentialist literature. He is also well regarded as a philosopher and theologian.
(Russian: Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский) (see also Fiodor Dostoïevski)
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 9, 2026
This is not a book you simply read. It is a book that tests whether you are willing to think slowly, endure confusion, and accept moral discomfort.
At first, The Possessed feels chaotic: too many characters, abrupt tonal shifts, petty conversations next to philosophical eruptions. That confusion is not a flaw — it is the point. Dostoevsky is not telling a story about revolution; he is showing how ideas infect people long before violence appears, how silence authorizes evil, and how responsibility quietly evaporates in groups.
What struck me most is how modern this novel feels. The real danger here is not fanaticism alone, but detachment — the Stavrogin problem. Dostoevsky suggests that the most destructive figures are not those who believe too much, but those who refuse to believe in anything while retaining influence. Around them, operators organize, believers burn out, innocents suffer — and the indifferent remain untouched.
Characters like Pyotr, Shatov, Kirillov, Lebyadkin, and Tikhon are not just individuals; they are moral positions. By the time murders occur, they feel almost inevitable — because the true crimes happened earlier, in conversations, votes, and silences.
This is not an easy book. It demands patience and rereading. But the payoff is immense. Few novels explain so clearly how ideas turn into mechanisms, mechanisms into violence, and violence into “no one’s fault.”
By the end, Dostoevsky leaves you with an unsettling realisation : Catastrophe is never unavoidable — it is merely allowed.
A difficult, disturbing, and profoundly rewarding read. One of those rare books that stays with you not as a story, but as a warning.
At first, The Possessed feels chaotic: too many characters, abrupt tonal shifts, petty conversations next to philosophical eruptions. That confusion is not a flaw — it is the point. Dostoevsky is not telling a story about revolution; he is showing how ideas infect people long before violence appears, how silence authorizes evil, and how responsibility quietly evaporates in groups.
What struck me most is how modern this novel feels. The real danger here is not fanaticism alone, but detachment — the Stavrogin problem. Dostoevsky suggests that the most destructive figures are not those who believe too much, but those who refuse to believe in anything while retaining influence. Around them, operators organize, believers burn out, innocents suffer — and the indifferent remain untouched.
Characters like Pyotr, Shatov, Kirillov, Lebyadkin, and Tikhon are not just individuals; they are moral positions. By the time murders occur, they feel almost inevitable — because the true crimes happened earlier, in conversations, votes, and silences.
This is not an easy book. It demands patience and rereading. But the payoff is immense. Few novels explain so clearly how ideas turn into mechanisms, mechanisms into violence, and violence into “no one’s fault.”
By the end, Dostoevsky leaves you with an unsettling realisation : Catastrophe is never unavoidable — it is merely allowed.
A difficult, disturbing, and profoundly rewarding read. One of those rare books that stays with you not as a story, but as a warning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2026
The new translation I read had a better feel for the dialogue. As a result I enjoyed Shatov and Stravogin’s final dialogue much more. The inclusion of some more visceral noun adjuncts such as “flush” iykyk really got me.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews