I Read Books: The Devils

 

The Devils

Stepan Verkhovensky was a liberal lecturer in 1840s Russia; thinking the authorities were going to persecute him he became tutor to Nikolai Stavrogin, son of wealthy widow Varvara Stavrogin. After he grows up, Verkhovensky remains as a client, an intellectual companion. Unfortunately he’s managed to lose all the money he’s been keeping in trust for his son, Pytor Verkhovensky.

In the novel there’s a lot of business in the Russian provincial town. Everyone knows that change is coming. But they’re also deeply involved with their gossip and literary activities and salons. As it goes on secrets are revealed, secret marriages, secret debts, secret plots. Pytor plans a revolution, and the town is overrun with fear, fire and death.

There’s some very funny scenes (the duel, the discussion about if a meeting is an official meeting etc) while Dostoyevsky meditates on the nature of Russia and what must be done.

Read This: A masterful and entertaining look into the self-involved society of 19^th century Russia
Don’t Read This: Dostoyevsky’s solutions are paper thin compared to the problems he highlights