The novel follows the lives of a group of radical revolutionaries in a small Russian town. The main characters are Pyotr Verkhovensky, a nihilist and leader of the revolutionaries, and Stepan Verkhovensky, his father. The novel follows the group as they attempt to overthrow the government and create a new society based on their own ideals. The novel is a psychological exploration of the characters and their motivations. It examines the effects of nihilism and radicalism on the characters and their relationships with each other. It also examines the effects of the revolutionary movement on the townspeople and their reactions to it. The novel is considered to be one of Dostoevsky's greatest works and is often seen as a precursor to the modern psychological novel. It is also seen as a critique of the nihilism and radicalism of the time.
By Fyodor Dostoevsky · First published 1871 · Genre: Philosophical Fiction, Realism, Psychological Fiction · 25 chapters