Dostoevsky's The Possessed or Demons : Explore How Individuals & Societies Get Undone

"The Possessed" (sometimes also translated as "Demons") is one of Dostoevsky's most prescient literary gems.

How could it be possible for a sleepy town in the suburbs of 19th-century tsarist Russia to become the center stage for social upheaval, murder, betrayal and insurrection? How does Dostoevsky connect the great social reforms of his time with the demonic and how is it relevant today? What is the intricate interplay between science, morality, beauty, God, meaning, humanism, religion and love? Dostoevsky explores these questions in his own inimitable way - by creating the unforgettable dramatic personae that continue to haunt us to this day.

Join us on a thrilling journey to explore how individuals and societies that become "possessed" can become undone.

We recommend the translation done by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. Here is a paperback edition available on Amazon for $16.99

Below is our reading schedule that we will follow on this journey:

Jan 9 - 1st session - Intro to Dostoevsky and historical setting for the novel (start reading Part I - chapters 1-2)

Jan 23 - 2nd session - finish Part I (chapters 3-5)

Feb 7 - 3rd session - start Part II (chapters 1-3)

Feb 21 - 4th session - continue Part II (chapters 4-7)

Mar 6 - 5th session - finish Part II (chapters 8-10)

Mar 20 - 6th session - start Part III (chapters 1-4)

April 3 - 7th session - finish Part III (chapters 5-8) and concluding thoughts