“I am a sick man. I am a spiteful man.” This is how Notes from Underground starts and it is rephrased ad nauseam throughout the book. This novella is segmented into two “chapters” as it is called within the work. In the first “chapter” the unnamed narrator describes his philosophy on life, and particularly suffering, in a crass egotistical tone, painting all of humanity as masochists that require pain so as to elicit sympathy from others and distract from “real life”. This is why the narrator lives in “the underground”: a euphemism to describe his separation from society. I found this fist “chapter”, which is really the first half of the book, to be the more interesting of the two. Although the narrator is “a blackguard, a scoundrel, an egoist, [and] a sluggard”, I felt that Dostoyevsky tapped into something that is truly human—suffering. Even though the narrator is such a foul creator, I felt empathy for his emotions—although he lives for the love of suffering. The novella is said to explain the narrators philosophy on life and regrettable past events, but it should be noted that this work is truly a character study.

The second “chapter” is a recounting of a small series of events that happened fifteen years prior—from the vantage point of the forty year old narrator. The events, a diner with “school friends” and a harsh conversation and subsequent meeting with a prostitute, can be considered superfluous as it pertains to the story. These events help to illustrate the personality of the narrator and his inability to function in society—stumbling through social interactions with hostility as his only tool to rely on. He describes himself throughout the dialogue as a hero, but towards the end of the book he says that he is the quintessential antihero. The writing is honest, even from the viewpoint of the narrator, and isn’t shy in describing personal faults. Dostoyevsky takes an aspect of humanity and rips it from the darkness of social repression; that is to say that with this one character, the narrator, he shows all that is undesirable in humanity: spite, humiliation, egoism, vindictiveness, fear, shame, resentment, etc. Although the narrator takes pride in his proposed plight, his hostile nature belies this pride and shows the flawed reasoning in those that feel superior for their suffering.

I had to read this book in short segments, because I could take the uncomfortable nature of the narrator. The writing was fluid and would be accessible to most readers, but the subject matter and the main character may turn some off to the book. Segments of the book were akin to watching a frog slowly cook in a pot of boiling water. That said, I found the book to be beautifully ugly.

Dostoevsky always writes very interesting stories and this is just another one of them.

I had a hard time getting into this one until over halfway through but found it quite interesting and wonderful.

I have virtually no idea why this book is considered a classic. More of a "personal manifesto" than an actual story, this is a disjointed reasoning of why the narrator feels and acts so outlandishly. Though I can sympathize with some of his emotions on my very worst days, 'Notes' as a whole left me feeling exhausted and a little dull. The second part of the book does try to assume some semblance of a story, yet the other characters are hardly developed, the plot is weak, and the climax is wholly anticlimactic. The only saving grace is the scene with the prostitute, yet even that promise is not only not fulfilled, it is swept with disgust under the carpet. ( )

This book is broken into two parts.

The first part is the journal to the underground man - it completely blew me away... At times I would laugh at out loud at the madness of his logic, while other times I would be dumbfounded by his incredible line of thinking and view on the world/life.

Very few books make me question the way I think/rationalize like this book succeeded in doing.

The second part is a story of the underground man, showcasing his thoughts/actions from his journal in story form. I found this part to be a tad boring and drawn out, but interesting as it still held the same logic from the first part.

Overall, its verbiage is tough to read depending on the translation you get, and you have to pay extremely close attention - I had to re-read things multiple times to 'get it.' But this is not a book that you just want to finish, you really do want to 'get it.' So take the time to read it slowly, and find a quiet coffee house with minimal distractions, cause it will be worth it. ( )

A fast moving work of genius. ( )

I can see what it is that literary critics like about this book but I found that it required a bit more concentration than I was willing to give it. ( )

Notes from the Underground (1864) has as its main protagonist also a man fully aware of the burden of his own consciousness. However, something has happened to the misfit. Unlike the hapless Golyadkin in "The Double", the Underground Man is not a victim of his foregrounded consciousness. While the two characters share the same difficulties socialising themselves to the world, the Underground Man seems to have his foregrounded consciousness on a tight leash, or perhaps, in a tight grip around the throat might be a better description.
The Underground Man is angry, and his anger is directed just as much at his own consciousness as it is to the world. On the one hand he vehemently, sarcastically and repeatedly asserts the right to the subjectivity of his own consciousness: "I stand for my own caprice and that it be guaranteed me when necessary". The symbol for this in the text is his view of arithmetic, the Platonic forms, the world of mathematics: objectivity. (Dostoevsky studied mathematics at university, and although he displayed gifts in this area, he detested it.): "two times two is four has a cocky look; it stands across your path, arms akimbo and spits. I agree that two times two is four is an excellent thing, but if we’re going to start praising everything, then two times two is five is also sometimes a most charming little thing…Consciousness, for example, is infinitely higher than two times two." On the other hand, he curses his consciousness for the suffering it brings him: "Consciousness is man’s greatest misfortune."...

Read the full review on The Lectern:

http://thelectern.blogspot.com/2008/0... ( )

Another of Dostoevksy's rambling, philosophical messes. ( )

For such a short work I was finding this hard going until I realised the problem was with my mindset and over reverent reading of Russian literature. When I realised it was a comedy and worked out something of the Russian sense of humour it all clicked - it's viciously funny enough to anticipate the satire boom of the mid 20th century. Still have problems with the sort of existentialist viewpoint presented here, but at least Dostoyevsky's wit makes it enjoyably palatable. ( )

It is almost impossible to understand the full meaning of "Notes from Underground" unless you read some background information on Dostoevsky’s philosophy and sociopolitical views and become aware of what was happening in Russia during the years prior to publication in 1864. The Modern Library edition translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky has an excellent introduction that goes into quite a bit of detail. Dostoevsky was unique in believing change was necessary to elevate the lower classes of Russian society but not through Socialistic utopias, or liberal revolutionary movements. Above all, Dostoevsky believed in individualism. "Notes from Underground" was a parody of Chernyshevsky’s novel "What is to be Done?", which was published the previous year. Dostoevsky was of the opinion that "What is to be Done?" was a crude attempt at socialist propaganda “full of sermonizing and idealism”. "What is to be Done?" was praised by Marx and Lenin, but needless to say, Dostoevsky was not impressed.

"Notes from Underground" is in two parts. The first part takes place in the 1860’s. Russia was already in a pre-revolution stage; the utilitarian mode; “The greatest happiness for the greatest number of people”.
The narrator is in his mid forties; a retired civil worker, a nihilist and polemicist, who has gone underground totally alienating himself from society. The unnamed narrator writes a stream of conscious conversation with the reader. He takes pleasure in wallowing in his pain and suffering. He yammers about mans free will to make choices even if they are destructive and irrational. He feverishly explains how he ended up in the underground after being influenced by all the liberal literature and utopian ideas only to realize it was all lies and he cynically explains how his inability to conform to common social standards broke his spirit.

In Part two the same nameless narrator relates several events that occurred in his youth, 20 years earlier in the 1840’s, often referred to as the “sentimental literary” era, when he was in the mid twenties. Russia was still ruled by the elite intelligentsia. The narrator was consumed with reading everything that was “beautiful and lofty”; Kant, Shiller, Pushkin, and Rousseau. It becomes apparent to the reader that the underground author is intelligent and probably could have succeeded in life – had he the fortitude and the desire, but instead, he was mean-spirited and mocked all forms of social interaction. He was socially retarded. He eagerly professed to loathe conformity and materialism. He alternated between boasting of his superiority and suffocating from low self esteem.

It is easy to see how the narrator ended up underground; but why? Dostoevsky successfully makes the point that society can try to force people to conform but may only end up with mass mediocrity. And society can not force individuals to be happy, or rational. "Notes from Underground" invokes a desire to read more, analyze, ponder, and raise one’s own level of consciousness. ( )

Despite not writing this especially early in his career, 'Notes...' serves as a prototype for the great, longer works of Dostoevsky's later years. He borrowed the theme for one of the stories contained within 'Crime and Punishment', and the idea of the outsider, the independent thinker and outcast is set in stone for the first time here. Despite that, this is not one of my favourite Dostoevskies. The opening is a dense tract on the nature of failing to conform, which isn't an easy read. The latter two-thirds is a narrative about his miserable attempt to join some former fellow pupils on a night out, and his subsequent meeting with, humiliation of and humiliation by a prostitute. Being a short novella, Dostoevsky doesn't give himself time to develop the characters, making the narrative seemed cramped. I love his longer books, and 'Notes...' shows the genesis of some of his thinking following his release from prison, but isn't, in my opinion, a good place to start reading Dostoevsky. Having said all that, I have read it twice, and enjoyed it both times, so it is not a bad book by any means, but there are better, many of which are by the same author.

Narrated in the first person by a socially disfunctional philosopher, this is a rollercoaster ride on the rails of insecurity.

Read more at Arukiyomi ( )

Vicious, hilarious, disturbing, nasty, uncomfortable, relevant, and especially interesting for us hifalutin Romanticism-loving 19th century maniac types... as well as anyone prone to glorifying the so-called life of the mind, really.

...came across a reference to Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground (1864) from Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)... being a fan of both authors, when I had the opportunity to aquire this book I picked up a copy. Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) always captivates, and with Notes from Underground introduces an intriguing psychology. ( )

The apology and confession of a minor mid-19th century Russian official, "Notes From Underground", is a half-desperate, half-mocking political critique and a powerful, at times absurdly comical, account of man's breakaway from society and descent 'underground'.

Typically Dostoyevskian black humour and sense of angst. Themes of the admiribility of conscienceless evil, and free will. His protagonist insists that we do not operate by some calculus of our best interests, and that it is an essential part of being human that we exercise our right not to operate in such a mathematical way. ( )

meh. the brothers of Kahrahakckaov is a more thorough exploration of our man, Fy Dost. this serves a good intro read, not to belittle, but you really get the full flavor from brothers of Kahhrhraovopv ( )

In this book dostoevsky historicly draws the line between nihalism and existentialism.The 1st part is almost pure philosophical:the author/hero write his thoughts about the confused,and over-knowledged modern man, that results a negative modern human being.Kafka and Musil took that example and developed it,the existentialists tried to solve the problem aroused.
The 2nd part is the prose story and it's magnificent.
Dostoevsky is not the best user of words in fiction, but he is genius regardless - describing human nature,both psychologiclly and philosophiclly. ( )

literature of alienation at its best.

A sublimely important book. ( )

“Notes from Underground” personifies the problems of urban man, an alienated creature who has become “fond of suffering, to the point of passion, in fact”. His estrangement leaves him divorced from the modern world, a world which he loathes and yet paradoxically envies. As his “underground” condition replaces occupations with preoccupations, he becomes the acute spectator of his absent life, tormented by questions, and maddened by the diseases of excessive consciousness and morbid self-awareness.

In his numerous emotional vollies, no one and nothing is sacred; his acquantainces, his whore, even his reader are attacked by this utterly detestable protoganist, if one can call him that. This anti-hero is not a figment of Dostoesvky’s poetic imagination or penmanship, but rather an exaggeration of us furtively despondent readers. From this subterranean reality, our nameless anti-hero writes. “Let me out, kind people, to have another try at living in the world!...” ( )

http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/fdosto.htm...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyodor_D... ( )

A terrifying look into one man's confession. The end is more haunting after you have swam through his thoughts at the start of the story. ( )

My favourite Dostoyevsky and have read several times. ( )