Reviews

Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

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."

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

b0okcupidity's review against another edition

3.0

Dense in significance, a book that required more concentration to appreciate on the second part than I adequately gave it - my overall enjoyment suffered for that. I learned that my tolerance for self loathing behavior is far greater when turned on oneself but once projected 'above ground', I could hardly will myself through it.
Question: Would any fan of Dostoyevsky slap me about the face for a mediocre (and truly, meaningless) star rating?
Answer: Yes. And they should enjoy it. And I should enjoy it too.

parisflack's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective slow-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

4.0

zrm's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

dyno8426's review against another edition

4.0

These notes are part philosophical comment and part memoir of an anonymous Russian official who has retreated himself to the "Underground" for 20 years. Through self-critical confessions, the narrator comments on the mental and the moral degradation that he has undergone, with a passionate stand which reinforces the honesty of his documentation. His thoughts about free will and explanation for the darkness that thrives in every human's psyche is so intense, yet so founded as a philosophy. This part completely bought me; it felt like an exposè of the darkness that I carry within myself. It also talks about that consciousness in "romantics" like the narrator that makes him an outcast among the collective, and consequently, spiteful of others. The second part is a recollection of his part, the events of which depict his egotism, envy, contempt, anti-social nature and insatiable criticism against others, making him loathable in his society all the more. This is a man whose moral corruption is sickening. But through the psychological awareness of his own limitations and abnormal degeneration, which Dostoyevsky is known for, he is able to generate sympathy and almost pity at his desperation and helplessness. A frightening anti-hero with his corrective punishment, as he himself calls it, is worth reading. It ends quite abruptly though without giving a proper closure, surprising as to why the author would just stop like that; something to follow up. All throughout the notes, his thoughts and actions are paradoxical, showing the instability that he possesses in the face of life, making it uncertain and frightening as to where the conclusion to such darkness lies.

fabydemar's review against another edition

4.0

Un vero burbero il protagonista di questo racconto. Un lungo monologo che esprime l'alienazione dalla società e i sentimenti contrastanti che ne derivano. Molto giusto il consiglio del traduttore di leggerlo a voce alta, come in un'opera teatrale.

nate_maulding's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved and hated this book--though that is definitely the point. The main character is a terrible human being as is haunted by his flaws, his outlook on life, and his crippling inability to be anything but a bitter man stuck in his own intelligent head. While he is an awful person, the underlying concepts are painfully relatable. This is supposed to make you feel like you are losing your own mind along with the narrator as he recounts his life as he is insane and dying. It is clear that Dostoevsky intended this extreme account to show the reader the similarities in themselves. I hated the narrator for the entire book and still felt utterly sad and hollow when it ended. What an incredible novel and start to Dostoevsky. 

timdorittke's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0