[PPZ]⇒ PDF Demons Penguin Classics Fyodor Dostoevsky Ronald Meyer Robert A Maguire Robert Belknap 9780141441412 Books

Demons Penguin Classics Fyodor Dostoevsky Ronald Meyer Robert A Maguire Robert Belknap 9780141441412 Books

Download As PDF : Demons Penguin Classics Fyodor Dostoevsky Ronald Meyer Robert A Maguire Robert Belknap 9780141441412 Books

Demons Penguin Classics Fyodor Dostoevsky Ronald Meyer Robert A Maguire Robert Belknap 9780141441412 Books

First of all, I recommend getting the Maguire translation from Penguin, it's quite a bit more fluid than the P&V translation (which I've also read side by side).
This is one of those books that you have to read twice.
This book is very complex, kind of a dark Vanity Fair, with lots of characters coming and going. I wouldn't say that the characters are as colorful or enjoyable as Vanity Fair, however. But I don't read Fyodor for entertainment, I read him because William Faulkner cited him as an influence, and I place Faulkner on a pedestal, and nobody writes "human thought" better than Fyodor..
What's interesting about this book is that the narrator starts out as someone who wants to write about "certain strange events that took place in our village..." yet he knows just a bit too much. In fact, there is no possible way that the young narrator could possibly know this much, which makes the narration "unreliable" and "unbelievable." As with other Dostoevsky novels, the story is uneasy and becomes more disturbing with each page turn. The theme appears to be that the members of this village become a herd of demonic swine, plunging into an abyss of hopelessness, suicidality, violence, lust... each person in their own way and with their own private pains and motivations. An excellent book. I think I'll have to read it again, because smarter people than I appear to be looking at this book as a kind of satire. I don't know. My interpretation of Dostoevsky is that he was fascinated with Christianity and trying to reconcile that despite observing criminal behavior. I have a feeling that every criminal psychologist needs to read his novels. In the end, if you are a bright, sunny person-- don't read this! This novel is a bummer and it is going to fill your head with some dark thoughts.
Thanks for reading the review, I hope you enjoy whatever book you decide to read next!


Tags : Demons (Penguin Classics) [Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ronald Meyer, Robert A. Maguire, Robert Belknap] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>A superb new translation of Dostoyevsky?s chilling and prophetic novel of revolutionary fanaticism</b> Pyotr and Stavrogin are the leaders of a Russian revolutionary cell. Their aim is to overthrow the Tsar,Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ronald Meyer, Robert A. Maguire, Robert Belknap,Demons (Penguin Classics),Penguin Classics,0141441410,Classics,Nihilism,Nihilism;Fiction.,Political fiction,Russia - Social life and customs - 1533-1917,Russia;Social life and customs;1533-1917;Fiction.,Terrorists - Russia,Terrorists;Russia;Fiction.,19th century fiction,Classic fiction,FICTION Classics,FICTION Literary,FICTION Satire,Fiction,Fiction-Classics,FictionLiterary,GENERAL,General Adult,Great BritainBritish Isles,Literary,Literature - Classics Criticism,LiteratureClassics,Literature: Classics,Nihilism,Nihilism;Fiction.,Political fiction,RUSSIAN NOVEL AND SHORT STORY,Russia,Russia - Social life and customs - 1533-1917,Russia;Social life and customs;1533-1917;Fiction.,Russian,Social life and customs,Terrorists,Terrorists - Russia,Terrorists;Russia;Fiction.,classic;satire;literary fiction;classic literature;classic books;classic novels;funny gifts;classics;fiction;funny books;novels;fiction books;humor;literature;humor books;books fiction;humorous books;satire fiction;classics books;realistic fiction books;classic fiction;russian;russian literature;philosophy;drama;short stories;existentialism;german;psychology;plays;war;romance;school;translation;science fiction;american literature;comedy;historical;essays;french;crime;modernism;fantasy;communism,russian; philosophy; classic literature; satire; translation; drama; german; german literature; war; historical; literary fiction; school; existentialism; modernism; 18th century; classic books; funny books; funny gifts; fiction; classics; fiction books; humor; humor books; literature; humorous books; satire fiction; classic; short stories; psychology; eastern europe; essays; plays; french literature; classic fiction; novels; classic novels; realistic fiction books; classics books; books fiction; french; communism; socialism; crime; play,FICTION Classics,FICTION Literary,FICTION Satire,FictionLiterary,Literary,Literature - Classics Criticism,Russia,Social life and customs,Terrorists,Russian Novel And Short Story,Fiction,Literature: Classics,19th century fiction,Classic fiction,Russian

Demons Penguin Classics Fyodor Dostoevsky Ronald Meyer Robert A Maguire Robert Belknap 9780141441412 Books Reviews

just started it
A classic that is surprisingly fun to read. The tortured characters weave a tangled tale of political ambition, manipulation, and love gone wrong. Be thankful if the demons leave you alone! The new translation is a work of genius.
Everytime i read to Dostoevsky I wanna read to him more and more
Good book!
Demons (Penguin Classics). A profound warning tale by slavophile Dostoyevski of godless nihilists destablizing mother Russia in the 1800s. A rich myriad of characters. The insecure, negligent father Stepan whose estranged son turned out to be a cold blooded head of the nihilist organisation. Do we blame the father or do we attribute it to Fate? The despotic Varvara. The drunk captain and his handicaped sister. The tortured conscientious objector Shatov. The suicidal Kirillov tourtured by illusions of grandeur that only by killing himself can he prove the non-existence of God. Towards the end, Dostoyevsky didn't dissapoint us by producing his signature motif. The appearance of an angelic Sofya to rescue the fallen soul of Stepan just before he gave up his soul. This motif of a female saint rescuing the fallen male protagonist repeatedly appeared in Dostoyevsky's other novels. Crime and Punishment, Idiot, Rich folk poor folk. Dostoyevsky too experienced an angel in his life. His second wife brought him stablility and domestic bliss. Gave him four children and cured him of his gambling debt. The main message in the novel is linked to the bible verses of Luke 826-39. The demon possessed pigs are the nihilists and their actions to infect the society with freethinking, liberal and immoral behavior. Chief of the demons was Pyotr, a cold blooded murderer. Like the possessed pigs, these nihilists will self destruct eventually. Like the demon possessed man that was cured, the healing of a society can only take place with grounded Christian values and morals. Such strong Christian based societies do not allow the existence of nihilists, freethinkers, liberals and anarchists.
Obviously a classic. Translation was easy to read, but of course this is not an easy book. There are 17 major characters to keep track of, usually but not necessarily by patronymic names. Some characters and scenes are outrageously funny. The class contrasts were quite interesting! Gender constrains the female characters to being reactive and receptive, except for the owner of the large estate.

I appreciated that all the French phrases were translated in the notes, which were quite carefully done.
This concerns the Penguin Classics Robert Maguire translation
The book is as gripping as anything FD ever wrote. It ranks just behind Crime and Punishment and Brothers Karamazov. It is also VERY funny, which is a relief, because (of course) it is quite dark. And yes, it's a soap-opera. Most of his books are. But he crams them full of ideas and theories and musings and complaints and truly gut- and soul- and heart-wrenching humanity (and inhumanity.) His best books almost feel like living things, if that doesn't sound completely ridiculous.

But two problems with this Penguin edition One it never occurred to me to read the back-cover until I was finished, and I'm happy I didn't. The silly, unnecessary synopsis basically reveals something that the reader is unaware of for the first 650 pages of the book! It's not completely a spoiler, but pretty close. There was nobody at Penguin who thought this was a bad idea? One of the greatest novels ever, and they couldn't find 100 non-giveaway words for the back? And, of course, puts that same description on this page!

Problem Two the end-notes are fantastic, hats-off to editor Ronald Meyer. However those end-notes are NOT keyed to the page numbers in the text. So if you read, say, twenty-five pages, and you tell yourself you'll catch up on the notes later, good luck finding the origin of those notes. Outside these two not-so-small issues, it's a must-read.
First of all, I recommend getting the Maguire translation from Penguin, it's quite a bit more fluid than the P&V translation (which I've also read side by side).
This is one of those books that you have to read twice.
This book is very complex, kind of a dark Vanity Fair, with lots of characters coming and going. I wouldn't say that the characters are as colorful or enjoyable as Vanity Fair, however. But I don't read Fyodor for entertainment, I read him because William Faulkner cited him as an influence, and I place Faulkner on a pedestal, and nobody writes "human thought" better than Fyodor..
What's interesting about this book is that the narrator starts out as someone who wants to write about "certain strange events that took place in our village..." yet he knows just a bit too much. In fact, there is no possible way that the young narrator could possibly know this much, which makes the narration "unreliable" and "unbelievable." As with other Dostoevsky novels, the story is uneasy and becomes more disturbing with each page turn. The theme appears to be that the members of this village become a herd of demonic swine, plunging into an abyss of hopelessness, suicidality, violence, lust... each person in their own way and with their own private pains and motivations. An excellent book. I think I'll have to read it again, because smarter people than I appear to be looking at this book as a kind of satire. I don't know. My interpretation of Dostoevsky is that he was fascinated with Christianity and trying to reconcile that despite observing criminal behavior. I have a feeling that every criminal psychologist needs to read his novels. In the end, if you are a bright, sunny person-- don't read this! This novel is a bummer and it is going to fill your head with some dark thoughts.
Thanks for reading the review, I hope you enjoy whatever book you decide to read next!