Notes from Underground
Books | Fiction / General
4
(62)
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Notes from Underground is a fictional collection of memoirs written by a civil servant living alone in St. Petersburg. The man is never named and is generally referred to as the Underground Man. The "underground" in the book refers to the narrator's isolation, which he described in chapter 11 as "listening through a crack under the floor." It is considered to be one of the first existentialist novels. With this book, Dostoevsky challenged the ideologies of his time, like nihilism and utopianism. The Underground Man shows how idealized rationality in utopias is inherently flawed, because it doesn't account for the irrational side of humanity. This novel has had a big impact on many different works of literature and philosophy. It has influenced writers like Franz Kafka and Friedrich Nietzsche. A similar character is also found in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver. Notes from Underground was published in 1864 as the first four issues of Epoch, a Russian magazine by Fyodor and Mikhail
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Author
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Pages
170
Publisher
Lulu.com
Published Date
2020-03-10
ISBN
1678004146 9781678004149
Community ReviewsSee all
"This book crushed me. I after I finished the last page, I just stared at the wall for about 20 minutes trying to figure out what I had just read.<br/>This book is not an easy read, don't be fooled by the small page count. This book has a lot of deep thought and philosophy within it, and you most likely will find yourself half way through contemplating whether to give it up or not. However, if you manage to finish it, you will not be disappointed. You will find yourself in this book in some way, and you will never be the same afterwards.<br/>This book is not meant for new readers of classic literature, and I recommend starting with Dostoevsky's main 4 books if you're looking for a much more easier read.<br/>However, if you do end up reading, I can't recommend more. It will change you"
Saige
"This book doesn’t feel like a classic, it feels like a book written on the back pages of reddit. This book features an unnamed narrator who has never quite fit in to society. He lives in the underground and is almost angry with the people society places above him. He doesn’t take part in the rat race, but he wants all the benefits as someone who does. He spouts his contradictory philosophies that are just as relevant today as they were when they were written. He surrounds himself with people he hates and spends money he doesn’t have. He offers to save a prostitute from a life of shame but is ashamed when she takes him up on the offer. Very Quick read that offers a historical view of life on the outskirts of high society. The book is written in two parts, the first being a rant on the philosophy of society, and the second being more of a “day in the life” kind of story."
Nicole Falche
"this book showed me the destructive ends of complete self focus and pride, especially on a wounded ego."
John Gallagher