Demons by Dostoevsky Book Review

My thoughts on 'Demons' by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
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[@mithilbhoras5951]

Finished this a few days ago. Probably Dostoyevsky's most underrated work. The ending rips your heart out!

[@montanagal6958]

Every book I have ready by him, the end rips my heart!

[@christinetuttle8975]

@@montanagal6958yu[p and yet why I adore him. He sweeps me away and yet home.

[@nicholasjones3207]

This book at points is scaring me because you can see how little has changed

[@mic982]

That's because human nature doesn't change - only the conditions under which humans live.

[@mena679]

Finally a truly decent review of Demons. I think it is Dostoevsky's best work. Thank you.

[@user-lz2nk6nr8s]

Спасибо, да но 🪓

[@Ashley212131]

I loved this discussion & analysis! Thank you for breaking this all down and explaining his book and adding in your interpretation & thoughts. This was great & can agree this is definitely a problem in America today.

[@pamelaargolosilva]

Just met you channel on KZbin and I’m astonished on how many of my next books to read (or recently read) you have a video for. I’m definitely gonna spend a lot of time watching your videos! Thanks for the content!

[@cheriepeden6384]

This is so prescient, I have been waiting to read Demons for the past 40 years.

[@joelseverino3199]

Why have you waited 40 years?

[@hi3694]

Have you read it yet?

[@Manycoolpeople]

I agree people need to read this book. You can taste whats happening today while reading this story. Some people are so taken by "ideas" they won't even consider reading this book. Why do they flee? Closed minded for certain!

[@theark.123]

Dostoyevsky's deep insights have been well explained. Amazing presentation.

[@lucasvarela9632]

I’m so lost in this book rn. Literally. Make sure you understand how Russian names work and all the variation people can have

[@paularora3953]

Haha yeah it takes a lot of effort. Definitely not a "beach read "!

[@claytonallen9874]

I found that making a list of the names of the characters I come across with a description of them helps me follow the characters better. If I come across a character I can’t remember, I look at my notes. Also, the Pevear translation has a list of names and variations at the beginning. Hope this helps you some!

[@Crumbsoftotailtariansim]

@@claytonallen9874 i did the same, printed them out, it was still very hard.

[@maternus]

​@@Crumbsoftotailtariansimcould you upload this list :)?

[@Dixis]

It is hard to remember all the names even for native speakers, tbh it is not necessary 😂

[@Raymanujan]

Wow, man, what a great opening! The first 47 seconds really captivates.

[@user-dv5bh3qq6m]

Wow. I deeply loved your review of this magnificent book! I'm reading it right now. Really, bravo for this interpretation and insight into Dostoevskij's intricate masterpiece. Subscribed!

[@alexmostella]

Glad it resonated with you 👏🏻 let me know what you think about the book when you finish

[@paularora3953]

Great video. Reminds me a lot of Thomas Sowell's "intellectuals and Society". He's written and spoken about the issue that intellectuals in the social sciences are not held to account for the validity of their theories. Basically they have no skin in the game so to speak.

[@montanagal6958]

Appreciate your communication style, humility, breaking it down and how relatable the book/concepts are for today's world. Dostoyevsky keeps my brain alive and I do appreciation his heart. Thank-you.

[@yacobe41]

This was the first book I read by Dostoevsky and it shook me in a way no book ever had before. I had read Dickens, I had read Proust, Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and books I thought were fairly deep... they did not compare. This book, especially the ending, introduced me to a writer in a league of his own

[@dougpeitz8502]

I just finished reading the book, and then started listening to some discussions and reviews. I listened to a couple of long ones, and they were not good. This review is conscise but sagacious and illuminating. Thanks!

[@alexmostella]

Much appreciated. What were your thoughts on the book?

[@Beinrangel]

I really enjoyed this, thank you!

[@augustusexe9029]

Perfect timing! I was just deciding whether to read this book or not. This was a great video! You're an incredibly underrated youtuber. Keep it up, you earned a sub!

[@alexmostella]

Hope you enjoy reading the book 👍🏻

[@timmyhexham9603]

I agree, a great video. I’m wondering though…have you started to read Demons. And?…

[@ReligionOfSacrifice]

@@alexmostella FAVORITE AUTHORS 1st) Fyodor Dostoevsky (The Insulted and Humiliated) 1) “The Insulted and Humiliated” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 19) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 30) "Demons" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 65) "My Uncle's Dream" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 80) "The Heavenly Christmas Tree" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 113) "Poor Folk" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 130) "The Gentle Spirit" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 141) "The Gambler" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 149) "White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 173) "Netochka Nezvanova" (nameless nobody) by Fyodor Dostoevsky 2nd) Leo Tolstoy (Resurrection) 3) "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy 9) "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy 16) “Childhood, Boyhood” by Leo Tolstoy 62) "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy 91) "A Confession" by Leo Tolstoy 3rd) Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons) 5) "Fathers and Sons" by Ivan Turgenev 11) "Smoke" by Ivan Turgenev 23) "Virgin Soil" by Ivan Turgenev 41) "Torrents of Spring" by Ivan Turgenev 64) "First Love" by Ivan Turgenev 101) "Acia" by Ivan Turgenev 107) "The Watch" by Ivan Turgenev 132) "Rudin" by Ivan Turgenev 141) "On the Eve" by Ivan Turgenev 152) "Home of the Gentry" by Ivan Turgenev 172) "Clara Militch" by Ivan Turgenev 177) "The Inn" by Ivan Turgenev 4th) James A. Michener (Chesapeake) 12) "Chesapeake" by James A. Michener 13) "Poland" by James A. Michener 36) "Caribbean" by James A. Michener 37) "Hawaii" by James A. Michener 197) “Mexico” by James A. Michener 5th) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich) 10) "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 28) "Cancer Ward" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 44) "In the First Circle" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 78) "The Gulag Archipelago, 1918-1956: an Experiment in Literary Investigation" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

[@edsanjenis9416]

​@@ReligionOfSacrifice : I love your lists.

[@ReligionOfSacrifice]

@@edsanjenis9416, yeah, I'm a nut, but I'm a nut with lists which might help you get more nutty too.

[@alfaalfa99]

The new vintage editions are amazing.

[@shashwatpandey1371]

Starting today, very excited!

[@kyleprzypek6673]

Best review of this book I’ve heard yet. Also, this book was wildly confusing - but ultimately worth it!

[@mic982]

This is a pretty good analysis, I think. But if there is one thing I think we can take from reading Dostoevsky is that there are many levels or layers to uncover in his works that render any short analysis, however valid, incomplete. And I think that's one of his most endearing (and important) traits.

[@pamlico53]

Yea.You can’t read and reread Dostoevsky and continue to discover new and deeper “ levels of the soil”. Sorry, I’m just repeating what has already been said.

[@mic982]

@@pamlico53 I think what you meant to say is "can read". At least that's been my own experience.

[@yogininamaste]

That was beautifully explained. I am in beging of the book a d struggling to understand. I love Dostoevsky and read 3 of his book but this one is challenge. Thank you

[@user-lz2nk6nr8s]

Потом прочти Ленина 53 тома, вот тогда сможеешь понять суть мира людей на следующие 1000 лет...

[@Lyubog997]

Amazing review! Love the way you've presented the book. Currently reading "Demons", it's a harder read than "Crime and Punishment" for example, but i'm liking it so far.

[@alexmostella]

👏🏻

[@DanBlabbers]

I read like 3/4th of crime and punishment then stopped because it was just dissatisfying, droned on in unrealistic wallow.

[@GodLife1w2L3R]

He knew They would think about fighting against him, but they wouldn’t be brave enough to actually oppose his orders.

[@waleedhamza4120]

Boy, this has to be the best analytical summary of the book on KZbin at the moment. Loved it. I'm on a dostoevsky binge and wil be waiting for more such videos. 🤍

[@ReligionOfSacrifice]

Last month was my Dostoevsky binge reading 13 of his books. He was already my 5th favorite author, but now he is back to being my favorite author since before I came up with my top 100 books. I just finished "Demons" this month and will be my last book by him I'll read. FAVORITE AUTHORS 1st) Fyodor Dostoevsky (The Insulted and Humiliated) 1) “The Insulted and Humiliated” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 19) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 30) "Demons" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 65) "My Uncle's Dream" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 80) "The Heavenly Christmas Tree" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 113) "Poor Folk" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 130) "The Gentle Spirit" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 141) "The Gambler" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 149) "White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 173) "Netochka Nezvanova" (nameless nobody) by Fyodor Dostoevsky 2nd) Leo Tolstoy (Resurrection) 3) "Resurrection" by Leo Tolstoy 9) "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy 16) “Childhood, Boyhood” by Leo Tolstoy 62) "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy 91) "A Confession" by Leo Tolstoy 3rd) Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons) 5) "Fathers and Sons" by Ivan Turgenev 11) "Smoke" by Ivan Turgenev 23) "Virgin Soil" by Ivan Turgenev 41) "Torrents of Spring" by Ivan Turgenev 64) "First Love" by Ivan Turgenev 101) "Acia" by Ivan Turgenev 107) "The Watch" by Ivan Turgenev 132) "Rudin" by Ivan Turgenev 141) "On the Eve" by Ivan Turgenev 152) "Home of the Gentry" by Ivan Turgenev 172) "Clara Militch" by Ivan Turgenev 177) "The Inn" by Ivan Turgenev 4th) James A. Michener (Chesapeake) 12) "Chesapeake" by James A. Michener 13) "Poland" by James A. Michener 36) "Caribbean" by James A. Michener 37) "Hawaii" by James A. Michener 197) “Mexico” by James A. Michener 5th) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich) 10) "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 28) "Cancer Ward" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 44) "In the First Circle" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 78) "The Gulag Archipelago, 1918-1956: an Experiment in Literary Investigation" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

[@carljohnson.4.2.0]

love the content! would love to see about eastern influence on Alan watts, Schopenhauer, Huxley and others as well!

[@alexmostella]

Thanks 👊🏻 You may want to check out the video I made on Huxley’s book: Doors of Perception!

[@carljohnson.4.2.0]

@@alexmostella already did xD looking more onto it!

[@aminekakla10]

man i read it a few months back after being away from reading for years and it changed my life, i am still looking for a better book. I will never forget nikolai vsevolodovitch stavrogin and his last scene

[@alexmostella]

What was it about that scene that stands out to you?

[@matthewwarren7879]

Brothers karamazov should be your next read. It was really really good. Life changing book for me.

[@Prof.waleedkhalid]

Alex. This is an amazing summary. I just have a side note regarding voice. It seems that you use a pro level mic. You need to get rid of the plosive by having it off access or distance it like 5 to 6 inches away.

[@alexmostella]

Thank you for that feedback! Any opportunity to improve the quality of the videos is much appreciated. 👊🏻

[@Prof.waleedkhalid]

The quality of the video looks gorgeous. I switched from attending to vidoe quality. Much of my concern is the value of the ideas presented with 99.9 sound quality. @@alexmostella

[@DanBlabbers]

You should point out that the alternative title is “possessed” You also bypassed the dark humor aspect that permeates the entire book.

[@davidm1149]

I was just thinking today of how ancient knowledge passed down through time is appropriated, sometimes cruelly and brutally, by succeeding generations. Knowledge provides the extension by which every generation nudges humanity forward. It could be the wrong use or application of such, but it's bringing us forward to some point. I'm thinking particularly in America's case of the Indians who were basically pushed aside and many times outright genocided, for seemingly no reason. What really occurred in total in the case of the beginning of our country, and where are we right now?

[@gypsy696]

Am reading this right now. Needed your analysis of it to pick it up again after a two week hiatus

[@marklambrecht662]

Wow, you have just explained the craziness of 2023

[@ahmedfiasco6412]

Love this review. Thank u!

[@itznamek7308]

did your version have the censored chapter about stavroguin? in my book that chapter was in the end and it was a crazy experiece to read it after finishing the book

[@nicholasjones3207]

In the Micheal katz translation it is included at the proper place. Reading it now and I’m getting more out of this book than from Crime and Punishment. It really is topical

[@genovesan003]

"You couldn't create a nail without beauty" -Stepan

[@FeIix_the_Cat]

Reminds me of the Fireflies logic with their revolution against FEDRA in the The Last of Us. The Fireflies essentially projected their own hypocritical shadow and unconsciously became possessed by the same malevolent values as FEDRA based on how they killed their own if hypothetically they posed a threat with holting or slowing down the rebellion. Ultimately their hatred towards FEDRA was more so due to their underlying unconscious shadow seeking the power and control Fedra possessed; not the noble ethical utopian idea of a better world that was being pushed on the surface. Completely corrupted, and blinded by their shadow, and hypocrisy.

[@Dixis]

this is his masterpiece and a prophecy 😮

[@Vintagevanessa99]

I'm on part 3 at moment. Your summary is great thankyou.

[@MrJgarry]

How'd you get so smart? Great review of a great book.

[@MrDom5]

Hey Alex, nice review. I am from Kazakhstan and we equally speak Kazakh and Russian here. We cover FD in our school curriculum but for some reason I managed to skip him, and only years later did I finally read some of his novels. Oh my! I was first blown away by the Brothers Karamazoff, and then I read C&P, and was like what?! His attention to detail and character is mind-blowing and heavy at the same time. Am I gonna read him again? hmm, perhaps not. but do i have his work in my library at home? i sure do. On another note, if you get a chance, please read and make a review of one of the most famous Kazakh writers - Abay Qunanbaiuly. Cheers!

[@alexmostella]

So awesome to know that the video resonated with you. I’ll have to look into Abay’s work 👊🏻

[@MrDom5]

@@alexmostella hey, just watched some of ur videos, and u seem to be into Russian/Soviet literature. I was just curious, why so, if you don't mind? :)

[@pleanermail]

Great Video, Thank you Alex.

[@alexmostella]

👏🏻

[@ejenkins4711]

When the depths revealed the soul to man, u find the feeling of enernity. Then you wonder why the resistance against the coming age of aquarius..

[@hopefortheworld5296]

Great analysis Alex

[@birdmanstrength]

Great video and great voice, brother.

[@DanielGoldMcduckRose]

Peterson pretty much recommends most if not all his books thou they might require some chewing before digestion. 1 day I’ll read

[@christinetuttle8975]

n the future, as you age, you are gong to see ths book n a whole new light. Your youthful vigor wll submt to the wheels of tme and you wll be surprised at how your percepton has changed.

[@clemfarley7257]

You really hit this out of the park. Tip top. Very impressive.

[@jgbeerx]

You should check out caroll Quigley

[@junglerituals8175]

I think that reading this book will set you free from being possessed by the idea of reading it.

[@WholesomeHenri]

Great analysis. Subbed

[@dbag57]

This is the best summary of Demons I have ever seen

[@Anachin37]

Which translation of Demons are you reading?

[@nikolay.13]

Спасибо, хороший разбор

[@biancamoldovan2492]

I finished the first part of the novel, but I don’t know if I’m stupid or the book is just too hard for me 😭

[@alexmostella]

Some books require us to set them done & come back to them at a later time but we shouldn’t feel inferior because of this…trying to understand is the first step to understanding 😄

[@agapologia]

I found that with Dostoevsky books, it takes me several (sometimes dozens) of attempts before it clicks and I fall in love. Happened with Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment. Demons was one of the few I read straight through the first time, but I don't know why. I have yet to get through The Idiot, which many people say will likely be my favorite.

[@JustStop19]

The first part is very slow, but it picks up the pace later in the book. Make a pause and come back later, I remember when I was 13, I started reading it and wasn't able to go past the first 40 pages. Two years later I binge-read it and now it is one of my favorite books ever.

[@yyyyyy21]

​@@JustStop19 +++ in Russian we say: "He takes a long time to harness the horses, but he rides fast". It's about Dostoyevsky

[@JustStop19]

@@yyyyyy21 Долго запрягает - быстро едет;)

[@exili]

Spoiler alerts are usually announced prior to the spoiler…

[@hugosousa5266]

Thank god i read this comment before watching the video...

[@christinetuttle8975]

Um yes YES YES YES!

[@gypsy696]

Pls could you tell me where you got this particular paperback version with this cover? Can’t find anywhere - who’s the publisher?

[@alexmostella]

Publisher is Vintage Classics. I bought it on Amazon 🤙🏻

[@jamesheald567]

most culture develop from a reaction to another culture.

[@mrsentencename7334]

It’s happening right now. I’ve noticed it online and in real life. Violent culture war is coming. Come back to this comment

[@misterpibb108]

Excellent review.

[@alexmostella]

🤙🏻

[@fraditoto]

How is the fonts of the book? Is it big enough to be enjoyable to read? Or the fonts is really small?

[@Akbar-r4b3l]

I'm beginner can anyone show how to read this ?

[@aiziszizis2536]

"Demons" is a prophetic book.

[@alexmostella]

Absolutely 🙌🏻

[@charliecho5392]

It felt more like history to me

[@aiziszizis2536]

@@charliecho5392 Now it's history, but it was prophetic when it was written and published.

[@slurmcarey3069]

Can we all stop with the Zoom in method when something important is said. Everyone is doing it. Please do something different. But I do like how present

[@laikatalirosa8020]

you are special

[@veronikavart9651]

спасибо за видео.

[@lustforbooks2975]

This man is my crush

[@justinschaum6071]

Seems similar to the animal farm story

[@alexmostella]

Same subject matter, different time in history. Orwell was commenting on the results of communism, Dostoevsky was projecting what he felt the results would be

[@user-wu7qg8xo2u]

Yeah that sums it up...

[@wewper]

Pevear and Volokhonsky is a horrible translation. Go for Maguire or Katz (the latter called Devils).

[@Andre-ih8rv]

❤

[@maheshsoni5051]

I am reading Demons right now...

[@alexmostella]

Great! Let me know what you think about it when you finish 🤙🏻

[@maheshsoni5051]

@@alexmostella Sure Alex...thanks.

[@veronikavart9651]

комментарий в поддержку продвижения ролика.

[@isaacclarke5494]

А я и не знал что англоговорящие люди читают Достоевского. Мне как русскому это приятно)

[@user-wu7qg8xo2u]

All gets back to Aliens

[@finnhanberg]

Excellent video, it's a sub from me

[@alexmostella]

Thank you 👊🏻

[@prodbyjuddyroller2507]

Butchered the pronunciation

[@alexmostella]

Thanks for your feedback 🙏🏻

[@adityasharan9568]

Totalitarian Socialism lmao