Notes From Underground
Ratings225
Average rating4.1
A perfect entry book if you want to want to enter a long dark,cold and very descriptive world of classic Russian novels.
It has all the ingredients that make a classic Russian novel; depressing Russian atmosphere, long descriptive dialogue, focus on motives and thoughts of the characters, and so on, and so on... but it is short, very short in comparison to others of its kind and it is written in first person.
I found it very similar to Crime and Punishment, especially the main character. On the other hand, the perspective from the first person really gives it a more direct approach to main character line of thought which is refreshing for the genre. The first part of the book is just one big monologue, which might as well be my favorite piece of literature, later it waters down with an actual story but still remains what it is, just a great read that I can not describe how much I am happy to pick up.
Cheers.
It's definitely not a fluke that Dostoevsky is considered one of the greatest. This particular one is one of those rare books that equates to a solid punch in the stomach. I remember walking for hours on the streets of Kyiv ona very cold winter and going over bits of it over and over... Something that I ended up doing for days after finishing it.
And to this day it comes back to me every now and then and serves almost as a reminder and a moral compass.
Humbling.
Super interesting book I'll probably never stop thinking about. It was a little hard to get into but definitely worth it. The words of the Underground Man are full of meaning and hilarious at some points as well. Still don't know enough of philosophy to comment on the actual content though...but it was a good read(tm).
In the mid 1800's, Dostoevsky wrote the predecessor to early 2000's autistic 4chan basement dwellers. This socially dysfunctional character is in a world where they can't adequately interpret their own feelings or the feelings of others. The author of the notes is constantly at odds with their own desires and with other people intents. Their ability to discern what they want vs what they are anticipating to be the expected outcome of that want is fragmented. I mean to say, they don't know what they are feeling as much as they are feeling a first emotion, then a counter emotion, then a tertiary emotion, and then they feel compelled to rationalize these conflicting feelings and thoughts into a fractured philosophy and moral compass.
The book consists of the shallow notes of a poor and mentally isolated man that tries to convince himself (us?) that it's great to be in the “underground”.
It's late and I'm not organizing my thoughts well, but this book doesn't feel like a deep philosophy like other discussions suggest. It's not filled with “deep hard questions”. It also doesn't feel comical. Even if you manage to keep up with the frantic pacing, the comedy would be if you find being manically mentally exasperated funny. Is he making a fool out of himself? Yes, but, that's because the character is necessarily foolish due to their environment. They don't fit. If there's a joke, the joke is the world that necessitates their existence in such a state.
Notes from Underground is a powerful read. It's not just about nihilism or existential despair; it dives deep into the mind of someone who's completely disconnected from society and himself. Dostoevsky explores how people get trapped in their own contradictions and self-loathing, making it a mirror to a lot of the dark sides of human nature. The underground man's bitterness and detachment feel real and relatable in a way that forces you to reflect on your own life. It's a sharp critique of society and self-delusion, and it really gets you thinking about freedom, purpose, and what it all means. That's what makes it stand out—how it shows you life from such an honest, raw perspective. Definitely a masterpiece.
“I love, I can only love the one I've left behind, stained with my blood when, ungrateful wretch that I am, I extinguished myself and shot myself through the heart. But never, never have I ceased to love that one, and even on the night I parted from him I loved him perhaps more poignantly than ever. We can truly love only with suffering and through suffering! We know not how to love otherwise. We know no other love. I want suffering in order to love. I want and thirst this very minute to kiss, with tears streaming down my cheeks, this one and only I have left behind. I don't want and won't accept any other.''
Okay, I've just finished Notes from Underground—and wow, this is easily one of the most complex books I've read. To give you some context, I've read The Picture of Dorian Gray and Animal Farm, and compared to those, Notes from Underground feels like a deep dive into the most twisted parts of human psychology. It's not an easy read, but it's fascinating.
So, how to explain this book? Imagine three types of people:
1. A bad person who doesn't realize they're bad, just doing whatever they want without a second thought.
2. A good person who knows what's right and wrong, and chooses to do good because they care about the impact of their actions.
3. And then there's the Underground Man (TUM), who knows exactly what's right and wrong, but deliberately chooses to do wrong—just because he can. He does it to assert his freedom, to feel some twisted sense of superiority, and to mess with people simply because he despises both them and himself.
Picture a moment from your own life where you've disagreed with someone—maybe your parents or a friend—not because you actually believe in your stance, but just out of spite. We've all been there. Now, take that feeling and imagine living your entire life like that—constantly doing things out of spite, sabotaging yourself and others, but being painfully aware of it the whole time. That's TUM in a nutshell.
See, the book is not about how bad TUM is. What according to us (at least me) is a bad person? Someone who doesn't think twice to sabotage others. Well, TUM is that guy and also, he doesn't think twice to sabotage himself! How twisted is that? This book is like a deep dive into his thoughts. He obsesses over every little detail, analyzes his motives very critically, and then, even when he knows he's acting irrationally, he'll go ahead and do it anyway, just to show that he is free to make bad decisions.
He is a man who cannot stand happiness or peace because they make him feel inferior and weak. So.. he destroys any chance of those things just to feel powerful. Notes from Underground is not just a story - it's a deep dive into human nature, free will and self-destruction.
It is a tough read. But is it worth it? Absolutely yes!
Summary: This book is written from the perspective of a miserable, disillusioned man who lives alone in Russia. It is divided into two parts. In the first part, the man gives an abstract explanation of his views on free will, arbitrary actions, alienation, and other ideas. In the second section, he describes a series of interactions that he had with others at an earlier point in his life that demonstrate his alienation.
Rating: 4.5/5
My second Dostoevsky work I’ve read and I’m blown away. Here is an author writing one hell of a page turner, exploring themes of depravity, misery, and so much more in a mesmerizing way. Frustrating, occasionally hilarious, but never boring.
In a span of around 130+ pages, Dostoevsky imbues so much life with this book, striking the perfect balance between a meditative, thought-provoking read, and an utterly hilarious yet tragic read of an underground man shunned by those around him.
The way it’s structured sets it apart from most narrative books, although I’m probably just saying this as I admittedly haven’t read that much. Despite that I can confidently say that its unique structure worked for me as seeing Dostoevsky go ham with how in-depth the ramblings of the Underground Man get in different aspects of life, eventually progressing to his own encounters, felt like a natural progression of events.
I’ve never really seen themes as bleak as depravity and misery examined in a way that somehow brings comfort to my own struggles until now, so I’m glad I read this one. There’s probably more things that either flew past my head or that I only scratched the surface of, but overall, I’m pretty satisfied with my experience.
Reread this in english. I understood a little more this time, and im so impressed, this revolting character, he feels so familiar and relatable, its scary, and he comes across so human, in is paradoxes and outcries, his feelings and passions fleeting at all times. despite him ruining his own life, and the ones he loves, it's still his "own" life and he lives honestly and may our despair give our life meaning.
Я очень давно не читала Достоевского и совсем забыла, как легко читаются его книги. Все это время казалось, что я действительно читаю чьи-то записки и что я не должна была этого читать. Множество интимных моментов; казалось бы такое каждый проживает у себя в голове и никому не рассказывает. Главный герой раздражал, волновал, умилял, тревожил. Короткий рассказ, который тебя заставляет надолго погрузиться в размышления.
I found this book so utterly disinteresting that my reading paused to almost nothing for a few weeks. Finally I decided to out this book out of its misery and donated it to my RWA's library, having scan-read the remaining 60-70%; that was rather to just finish the ritual of marking the book complete. That might also help me not picking it ever again. I am slowly making peace with the realisation that I have always hated monologues. And that an uninteresting book might not be worth your time.
This was an interesting read after finishing [b:Crime and Punishment 28348 Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoevsky https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1657562466l/28348.SY75.jpg 3393917]. The nameless narrator seems to be another “hero” (as mentioned in the Forward) with self-indulging thoughts and a high ego.. He calls himself a wicked man in the first sentence of the book, and he is, but it shows that many are with that same personality or thought. I like Dostoevsky's way of using his characters to narrate such inner thoughts because they're real and can happen in any of us. I was enjoying it up until halfway of Part 2, but then the long 2-3 page dialogues (coming from one character) happened, like C&P lol. I also wonder about the snow. It can mean death, ugly things, etc., so I also see “Apropos of Wet Snow” as the idea or parts of life/thoughts that are ugly and sad; but just an opinion.
Where do I even start? I don't know what to say about Notes from Underground as a literary piece. I'll just say that it requires patience.
As an artistic work, it's remarkable. Dostoevsky embarks on such an incredibly display of talent–
No. I'm not even going to try. I'm confused. You should read it, but you'll also be confused.
One sentence synopsis... The perverse musing of a mid-level government bureaucrat trapped in a prison of his own insufferable character.
Read it if you like... unlikeable men who don't play well with others, think Woody Allen or a dark Larry David for modern influences. More obviously it's for those who are into existentialism, the modernist movement, or Russian literature.
Further reading... either Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, or The Brothers Karamazov. If you've read any let me know which I should try next.
Possibly, I even regret, myself, that I have given so few slaps in the face during my life.
3 stars alone for this gem of a sentence.
Well... Perfectly Dostoyevskyesk. Deep insights of human mind and nature and all that. Enjoyed it, painfully.
This is the 3rd book of the Russian author that I've read and now, he has easily become one of my favorite authors! This was such a passionate tale of an individual who's sick of the society and its laws, and often at the expense of being self-contradictory, this paradoxical narrator goes on to explain the importance of suffering in life. The first part might feel like a rant of someone depressed, but bear with it and you will be rewarded, although I should warn you - this is not something you pick up if you want to read an uplifting book. One of the most depressing, but strangely beautiful books I've ever read.
I liked it, but I kept feeling I was too old for misanthropic rants. Might be the Americanised translation of this edition.
Fyodor takes you on a roller coaster ride with this one. The narrator is a weird character. He amuses you and irritates you at the same time! In the end, he hands you a mirror to your soul. You may either end up hating him or loving him, it all boils down to how you perceived it. As of me, he fascinated me! Maybe I'll read it once again someday, to grasp the esoteric philosophy of Fyodor.
Yet another book of Dostoyevsky where the main character is a young man who is a little bit out of balance mentally. The difference to the “Idiot” and the “Double” is that the underground man knows that his thinking patterns should be different but at the same time he loathes the conventional. And by doing so he appears to make himself unstable. It is hard to be the one who swims against the stream. In it extremes you have it as a new “normal”, poisoning everything. I would advice reading the second chapter first and first chapter second. In this particular vintage classics edition the foreword of Pevear offer further insight.