#3041
Mentioned in 5 episodes
The Possessed
Sometimes also known as 'The Devils' or 'Demons'
Book • 2011
The Possessed is a social and political satire, a psychological drama, and a large-scale tragedy.
It tells the story of a provincial Russian town taken over by political revolutionaries, led by Pyotr Verkhovensky, who orchestrates a series of violent and chaotic events.
The novel centers around the enigmatic and morally complex figure of Nikolai Stavrogin, whose influence over the other characters is profound.
The story involves themes of nihilism, revolutionary ideology, and the destructive consequences of these movements on society.
It is loosely based on real events, including the murder of a student by Sergey Nechayev’s group in 1869, and reflects Dostoevsky's critique of liberal and nihilist views prevalent in Russia during that time.
It tells the story of a provincial Russian town taken over by political revolutionaries, led by Pyotr Verkhovensky, who orchestrates a series of violent and chaotic events.
The novel centers around the enigmatic and morally complex figure of Nikolai Stavrogin, whose influence over the other characters is profound.
The story involves themes of nihilism, revolutionary ideology, and the destructive consequences of these movements on society.
It is loosely based on real events, including the murder of a student by Sergey Nechayev’s group in 1869, and reflects Dostoevsky's critique of liberal and nihilist views prevalent in Russia during that time.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 5 episodes
Mentioned by 
Robert Greene as a major influence and favorite novelist, whose style he admires for its aliveness and realism.
Robert Greene as a major influence and favorite novelist, whose style he admires for its aliveness and realism.
678 snips
Robert Greene: The Blueprint for a Killer Story | How I Write
Mentioned by 
David Runciman as the author of "The Possessed", used as an example to illustrate the fragility of liberal societies.
David Runciman as the author of "The Possessed", used as an example to illustrate the fragility of liberal societies.
16 snips
John Gray and David Runciman on Finding Meaning in a Post-Liberal World
Mentioned by Robert Svoboda as a book about possession in Indian religion.
224. Robert Svoboda
Mentioned by Scott Stevens in relation to Camus' concept of abstraction and the influence of collective passions.
Bonus episode: Can democracy be saved with decency? A public lecture by Scott Stephens
Mentioned by Orhan Pamuk as an author whose work he teaches, highlighting its influence on his own novel, Snow.
Nights of Plague, with Nobel Prize Winner Orhan Pamuk
Mentioned by Joe Parker as one of Dostoevsky's books, highlighting his life experiences poured into his writing.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky | The Darker the Night, the Brighter the Light (Republish)
