Reviews

Le Double by Fyodor Dostoevsky

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kirshach's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

annikaripley's review against another edition

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3.0

the first part of this was difficult to get thru, as is often the case with all my favorite books. i failed to realize that he had gone mad; i assumed this “double” was a reflection of Golyadkin’s insecurities. in a way, i was right. the man really was exactly like him, and the original naturally went mad having to be around the double all this time.

everyone says this is a copy of the Nose, by Gogol. i wouldn’t know… i’ve never read it. i will say, however, that i sincerely doubt that Gogol would have been able to make me feel the same anguish and empathy for the hero of this story in such a short story. i was truly saddened for the pain and confusion he felt during the ending and i appreciate the authors abilities in this way.

that said, it was certainly repetitive, and not near the quality of my first Dostoyevsky (c&p). i am sad that i did not enjoy it AS much as other readers seemed to. but yes, it was objectively good.

booksreadbycarla's review against another edition

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4.0

So..... Wow

bloodbth's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.75

r0sem4rie's review against another edition

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4.0

An old woman at the thrift store spoke so highly of this book. She had read it in her 20s and it was her favourite Dostoevsky.

I feel so sad for Goljádkin, he was so happy to have found a friend before it all fell apart

sidharthvardhan's review against another edition

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5.0

It would seem that the more someone looks like us, the more the empathy we feel for them. Compassion we feel is actually we atributing our own sensitiveness and feelings to other person. I guess suddenly find a double would scare you because you do not only attribute see feelings to them but also the knowledge your emtire personality - what you see is no longer a superficial physical resemblance but someone who has known deepest and darkest corners of your own consciousness, the best kept secrets. Well that at least is the theory I would like to believe in most from among other theories that try to explain the myth of doubles.

Anderson wrote a story in which the shadow of a person took over his identity and life. Dostovesky's novella has similar but more complex outline with a lot of, well, obviously, it is Dostovesky, psychological detailing. The psychological stress the protagonist was feeling at point when he first saw his double (unrequited love, social anxiety, humilation, self-pity, loneliness, hypocrisy even in his thoughts.... they all added in) is what makes it interesting, adding the whole unreliable narrator bit - for though novella is not in first person, our world view seems to stay limited to his perspective.

I wonder what Jung with his ideas about archetypes and shadows would have to say on this novella.