The Possessed (also published as Demons) is Dostoevsky’s tense, darkly comic novel about a small Russian town thrown into turmoil by a circle of radical thinkers, ambition, and moral confusion. As ideals harden into fanaticism, the story explores how ideas can infect communities, distort personal relationships, and erode responsibility. You should read it for its psychological depth, sharp satire, and urgent questions about politics, faith, and human freedom—questions that still feel uncomfortably modern. It’s gripping, provocative, and packed with unforgettable characters, even when it’s unsettling.