Notes From Underground

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.