Notes from the Underground A Play in Two Acts

“I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.”

Introducing: The Underground Man. He's not like the other guys. He's much superior in intelligence, a man of refined culture, and so acutely aware of his own supposed brilliance that he struggles to treat his fellow human beings as his equals, which leads to his alienation and bitter isolation. But here's the catch: he's also irrational and contradictory.

Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground is a novella of bitter self-analysis and existential torment. It features the underground man, an unnamed narrator, a retired civil servant living in 19th-century St. Petersburg, who, from his "underground" perspective, delivers a scathing critique of society and the human condition.

"You see, gentlemen, reason is an excellent thing, there’s no disputing that, but reason is nothing but reason and satisfies only the rational side of man’s nature, while will is a manifestation of the whole life, that is, of the whole human life including reason and all the impulses. And although our life, in this manifestation of it, is often worthless, yet it is life and not simply extracting square roots."

To be human is to be irrational. One of the prominent themes of Notes from Underground is the absolute rejection of rationalism and utilitarianism. The Underground Man, in his vitriolic monologue, argues that human beings are not simply driven by logic and self-interest. He asserts that humans possess a fundamental desire for free will, even if that free will leads to self-destruction. He delights in acts of spite and contradiction, not because they are beneficial, but because they assert his individuality against the perceived tyranny of reason.

The novella is divided into two parts. The first, "Underground", is a philosophical diatribe, a furious and fragmented outpouring of the narrator's thoughts. He rails against the "crystal palace" of utopian ideals, a world where everything is predictable and harmonious. He argues that such a world would be a prison, devoid of the very essence of humanity: the ability to choose, even if those choices are absurd and harmful. He revels in his own "sick liver," which, I take, is a metaphor for his psychological and emotional decay—viewed as a reflection to his authentic, suffering humanity.

The second part, "Apropos of the Wet Snow," or "On the Occasion of the Wet Snow," (in other translations) shifts to a more narrative structure. It recounts specific incidents from the underground man's past, revealing the consequences of his philosophy. We witness his humiliating encounters with former schoolmates, his desperate attempts to assert dominance, and his ultimately pathetic failure to connect with others. His interactions with Liza, a young prostitute, are particularly pivotal. He attempts to "save" her, but his motives are tainted by his own need for validation and control (*coughs* mansplaining). His cruelty and self-loathing ultimately drive her away, leaving him alone with his festering resentment.

Dostoevsky powerfully devises a narrator who is both repulsive and utterly captivating. The Underground Man's self-awareness is his greatest torment. He recognizes his own failings, his pettiness, and his cruelty, yet he is unable to change—an internal conflict that creates a character of remarkable depth and complexity. He is a man trapped in a cycle of self-destruction, driven by a profound need to assert his individuality in a world that seems determined to erase it. The tone of the novella is relentlessly bleak and cynical. The narrator's voice is filled with bitterness, sarcasm, and self-pity. He is a master of self-deprecation, but his humor is always laced with a dark undercurrent of despair. Dostoevsky's prose mirrors the narrator's fragmented and chaotic mind, creating a sense of unease and disorientation. The novella is a relentless assault on the reader's sensibilities, forcing us to confront the uncomfortable truths about human nature.

Reading Notes from Underground, I'd like to imagine myself sitting in a shadowy, back-alley pub, where a mysterious man suddenly sits in front of me and, with no preamble, starts to make fun of himself, of me, and of society. Listening to this man is a disconcerting spectacle—sometimes I'd laugh with him, sometimes I want to shake him by the shoulders, it's a maelstrom of mixed emotions. But after all pints are down to the dregs and patrons are slowly leaving the place, I realize listening to this mysterious man is no wasted time at all—for I have been forced to confront the unsettling depths of my own inner contradictions.

To conclude, Dostoevsky's exploration of free will, alienation, and the search for meaning resonates with readers today as much as it did in the 19th century. Notes from Underground leaves the reader with a lingering sense of unease, an understanding of the complexities of human nature, and a haunting question: how much of the underground man resides within us all?

perfect book for being a miserable university student. hilarious and depressing in equal measures, cannot be overstated how ridiculous the narrator is.

** spoiler alert ** Notes from underground is like that book you stumble upon and suddenly everything clicks. Dostoevsky's portrayal of the unnamed narrator, the "underground man," delves into the complexities of existential angst and societal alienation with remarkable depth and insight. What struck me most about the novel is Dostoevsky's ability to capture the internal turmoil of the underground man in such vivid detail. His relentless introspection and existential despair serve as a mirror reflecting the inherent contradictions and irrationalities within human nature. I like how Dostoevsky confronts the reader with uncomfortable truths about the human condition, challenging conventional notions of morality and rationality. Despite its philosophical depth, "Notes from Underground" maintains a sense of urgency and immediacy, as if Dostoevsky is engaging in a dialogue with the reader, probing the depths of their own psyche. I definitely found myself grappling with similar existential questions.

This book reminded me of why I love reading. After years of struggling to get back into reading, “notes from the underground” was a painfully relatable book, with a pathetic MC that you do not want to relate to. Incredibly funny while, at the same time, instigating questioning the deepest parts of your mind. This is for people looking for something dark, that will make you laugh and question your life choices. A perfect book if I have ever read one.

Notes from Underground is an insightful exploration of the human condition, often overlooked for its complexity and rawness. The protagonist, the Underground Man, serves as a vessel for thoughts and emotions we typically suppress: vanity, self-loathing, and an almost nihilistic awareness of his own flaws. He boldly proclaims that he has taken his actions to extremes that others would never dare to, exposing the cowardice often disguised as prudence in society. In his eyes, his defiance is a form of authenticity, a vitality born from living on the fringes, and perhaps he isn’t entirely wrong. Dostoevsky’s creation of the Underground Man as an anti-hero is nothing short of masterful. The character is deliberately unlikable, blending traits of arrogance, self-pity, and bitterness that make him almost unbearable to read at times. This unflinching characterization drives the novel’s central theme: the estrangement of humanity from the essence of life. Each of us, in a sense, is a metaphorical cripple—crippled by our own doubts, fears, and contradictions. The Underground Man’s shame and internal conflict infuse the narrative with a sense of brutal honesty, transforming the story from a mere account of events into a painful form of self-punishment.

❝to love meant to tyrannize and hold the upper hand morally. all my life i have been unable to conceive of any other love, and i have reached the stage when i sometimes think now that the whole of love consists in the right, freely given to the lover, to tyrannize over the beloved.❞ my first dostoevsky book and it certainly didn't disappoint. the underground man is bitter, intellectual and hateful. he thinks he's superior to the rest of the stupid faced men but at the same time, he is wary of them. he is so complex. at some point, you'd want to hate him, to like him, to laugh at him, to slap him as well as to sympathize with him. thanks for getting me out of my reading slump. here are a few quotes that i loved a lot : ❝i love you very much, i torment you out of love, and i want you to feel that.❞ ❝destroy my desire, blot out my ideals, show me something better, and i will follow you. perhaps you will say it is not worth while to get.❞ ❝after all, perhaps prosperity isn’t the only thing that pleases mankind, perhaps he is just as attracted to suffering. perhaps suffering is just as good for him as prosperity. sometimes a man is intensely, even passionately, attached to suffering – that is a fact.❞

oh boy oh boy that was cool :) thanks for lending me ur book, veronica! i’ve never read smth with a narrator Like That before

i love being infodumped by a drunk man

Kendime acıdım yeraltındaki adama acıdım hak verdim üzüldüm ve günümüzle karşılaştırdım. Kendimi fark etmeme yardımcı olduğu gibi zaten bildiklerimin kağıda dökülmesi gibiydi. Bu yüzden okumak kendime ve yeraltındaki adama üçüncü bir kişi olarak bakmamı sağladı. Dediği gibi insanlar doğaya karşı gelemeyip gelecekte de aynı geçmişte de aynı oldular ve olmaya devam edecekler. Güzeldi okumaya değer.

A book I will come back to

maybe im just not a cynic, maybe im just not used to the writing, maybe i just dont enjoy constant pessimistic yapping

Weird to read a book where the protagonist

Doesn’t have a helpful perspective. It’s how not to behave.

it was an honor to read the thoughts of a professional yapper such as yourself mr. underground man

underneath a veil of absolute moral filth, dostoevsky is able to hide truth concerning both life as we all live it and the perspective of a “””failson””” (i can’t think of a better word at the moment). the rampant sexism is disgusting to read but fits with the rest of the character and works as an attack on the type of person that the narrator is - a type of person that is ever-prevalent today. ***** my biggest problem with this book (apart from the shaming of sex workers) can be summed up by this quote from CS Lewis, “You can’t go on “seeing through” things forever. The whole point of seeing through something is to see something through it. To “see through” all things is the same as not to see.” i think dostoevsky does a lot of notable “seeing through” in this book, and reading from a 2019 perspective that seeing through just doesn’t hit as hard as it probably has for most of the time this book has existed. my problem is dostoevsky (in this short story at least) fails to act or offer any insight beyond this simple vision.

2.5 stars* the underground man is as he described himself, an “acutely conscious” man who’s extremely self-aware. he notes multiple times how the reader must be laughing at his musings throughout the chapters. he also contradicts his words and shows masochistic tendencies. his great opposition to modern society is amusing as it is thought-provoking. it actually scared me every time i came across a passage and thought, “i mean, he has a point.” the first part of the novella shows the psychological complexity of the character with depth and awareness that was previously less tackled in the preceding literature. the second part solidifies the underground man being an unreliable narrator, with his views and opinions mostly coming from contempt. he’s a remarkably horrible character, but i believe that he’s a characterization of what humans can be when brought upon by an extent of societal problems. we are not the underground man, but the underground man can come from any of us. this is my first russian literature and to be honest, i was only able to pick up a few things from the book itself and found the literary analyses more enthralling than the narration of the underground man. you can only accept so much from an angry man full of bs.

Just brutal read, worst guy of all time?

gut-wrenching, nausea-inducing writing aimed right where it hurts as always, thank you Dostoevsky

Me desafiei a ouvir um audiobook pela primeira vez e por alguma razão achei que esse seria um livro interessante para experiência. E tava certa!! O personagem-narrador é tão cínico que chega a ser engraçado. A interpretação das falas pelo narrador do audiobook estava no ponto. Me pegava rindo toda vez que o personagem voltava atrás do que havia falado e começava falando "Mas meus senhores...". Assim, eu simplesmente não vou me adentrar a nenhuma vertente filosófica ou política, porque não tenho propriedade, mas, rapaz, quando Nietzsche leu esse livro ele deve ter começado a levitar. Mas sério, muito engraçado o personagem toda hora "longe de mim falar mal da aristocracia russa patriarcal mas..." e seguia falando mal da aristocracia russa patriarcal. Toda jornada existencialista dele é bem insana. Ele precisava de uma aprovação ou de uma redenção a todo custo. E o meio era pela culpa. Essa história me deixou irritada, frustrada, me fez rir, com dó, intrigada, enfim, extremamente pensativa com as memórias desse homem do subsolo. Não estamos mais no século 19 mas seguimos em uma sociedade bem insegura e egomaníaca ao mesmo tempo, chegando a ser lamentável e perigosa. Enfim, muito bom!!!

This book is painful at times but I love every moment of it, not unlike my life. The literary embodiment of paranoid eccentricity.

This is not Dostoyevsky's best work, but it gains strength as it goes along; the ramblings of a socially awkward, bookworm misanthrope whose disdain for humanity prevents any real connection with anyone. Many dedicated readers will see a glimpse of at least a part of themselves in this tale if they are honest, and I suppose that was to some extent, though not entirely, the author's point: reading is an escape, but it can also replace real life for some, and that's not usually a good thing. The second half of the book is stronger than the first, by the way, so if after the first fifteen pages you are thinking of giving up, take heart.

The most honest, sincere writeup I have ever come across. It's no secret that Dostoevsky is one of the most powerful writers in modern history. And this books stands up straight in testifying that. Notes from the underground is about the bane of consciousness, and a vile morality in an unjust and corrupt society. The book is divided into two parts namely the Underground and Apropos of Wet Snow. The former is a philosophical description of the lives of conscious being, full with bold statements and cryptic metaphors. The latter is a narrative which reeks of blood, rust and sulphur from which the former philosophical description can be distilled out. After a century and a half one notices in oneself, the same dilemmas, dissatisfactions, desires and temptations which are laid bare by the author. Dostoevsky has an ability of explaining desire or a thought so complex, you are not sure of its existence within you, by such plain combination of words which assure you that these desires, these thoughts are not unique within you. It is in utter despair and utter loneliness then, where one can find a character, the only human you know, speaking your language, and consequentially understanding you like no living person has or possibly can.

Amazing book. Amazing!

The underground man is such a hateful, loathsome creature! (Also, it's me 😬)

Not my kind of thing, but I can see why people like it.