The Petty Demon

Fyodor Sologub’s novel “The Petty Demon” is one of the pivotal works of early 20th-century Russian Symbolism. At the center of the narrative is Peredonov, a gymnasium teacher whose petty, suspicious, and malicious nature gradually drives him to madness. Through the protagonist, the author exposes the spiritual squalor of provincial life, as well as the vulgarity and degradation of society at that time.