Notes From Underground

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!