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zanderw's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lostsailor's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
eliana02's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jane620's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
thebookishlawyer1999's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Dostoevsky gives an eerie description of what is wrong with the world and what is wrong with the people around us which is very much relatable in our current context as well.
The book is divided into two parts, the first part "The Underground" is where mainly the author opens up his heart and fills it with ramblings upon ramblings which he quotes as statements straight from the "underground". Now this is my humble opinion, but what I think is that the term "underground" in this book is a metaphor which does not refer to a literal underground, but it is the depth of our heart, the underground into each one of us where we hide feelings, words, perspective which never sees the light of day. The ramblings are also from the deep part of the author's heart where he symbolically criticizes the shortcomings and the tyranny of the authorities and those who claim to be as "normal people". For me, it is this part of the book which truly shines when it comes to convey the true essence of the book. The second part of the book deals with some parts of the narrator's life where we get to see what kind of a person he is and his morally flawed perspective of viewing things. Which was alright, but when it is read with and is made relatable with the first, that's when the true mastery of Mr. Dostoevsky comes to life. This is my second Dostoevsky literature, and it is definitely not on par with the levels that "Crime and Punishment" went, but it was a very good read nonetheless.
The book is divided into two parts, the first part "The Underground" is where mainly the author opens up his heart and fills it with ramblings upon ramblings which he quotes as statements straight from the "underground". Now this is my humble opinion, but what I think is that the term "underground" in this book is a metaphor which does not refer to a literal underground, but it is the depth of our heart, the underground into each one of us where we hide feelings, words, perspective which never sees the light of day. The ramblings are also from the deep part of the author's heart where he symbolically criticizes the shortcomings and the tyranny of the authorities and those who claim to be as "normal people". For me, it is this part of the book which truly shines when it comes to convey the true essence of the book. The second part of the book deals with some parts of the narrator's life where we get to see what kind of a person he is and his morally flawed perspective of viewing things. Which was alright, but when it is read with and is made relatable with the first, that's when the true mastery of Mr. Dostoevsky comes to life. This is my second Dostoevsky literature, and it is definitely not on par with the levels that "Crime and Punishment" went, but it was a very good read nonetheless.
icekube's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jujubonyou's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
wad2k's review against another edition
3.0
I foolishly fell for the trap thinking this would be a quick and easy read, which this was far from. Personally, I was expecting to be more moved by this novel - I had heard about how scarily relatable the protagonist was, and how it would make you really look deep into yourself. I'll definitely be giving it a reread once I've read more Dostoevsky and other philosophical novels and my analysis is a little better, but for now three stars it is. And as always, a quote that I enjoyed:
"Man is sometimes extraordinarily, passionately, in love with suffering, and that is a fact."
"Man is sometimes extraordinarily, passionately, in love with suffering, and that is a fact."
gingernut_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0