Böse Geister

A city in Russia is haunted by evil spirits that create a labyrinth of fear, torment, and obsession. At the center of this dizzying world stands Stawrogin, the one from whom everyone hopes to find direction – he is a genius who disregards all social and sexual conventions, only to experience the same emptiness with every excess. In Stawrogin's vicinity, a revolutionary cell is formed, whose members are meant to be united by a murder they commit together. Ironically, the father of one of the leaders becomes ensnared in the events. His generation was that of the intellectual godfathers of the revolution, but now he defends the beauty of art against the bread of necessity. Yet the influence of the obscure group cannot be broken; the city succumbs to it like in a frenzy, ultimately culminating in a murder.

Like no other book by Dostoevsky, "Demons" (previously published under the inaccurate title "The Possessed") is a novel of voices: an entire city speaks and unfolds its tragedy in monologues and dialogues that propel the action forward like force fields.

Swetlana Geier's translation artistry makes the pearls in Dostoevsky's text shine: the satirical interludes, witty dialogues, and humorous intermissions allow us to rediscover Dostoevsky.

"From now on, it's: Away with you, old translations! We only want the clear, rhetorically skilled Dostoevsky from Swetlana Geier."
Paul Ingendaay, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

"Late start, spectacular result: Swetlana Geier began translating the great novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky only at the age of 65. Yet her new adaptations are considered milestones."
Der Spiegel.