A review by yuzuuka
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

5.0

“I am a sick man... I am a wicked man.” The very first line in this book- in ways I cannot describe sets the perfect tone and canopy for this deliriously brilliant novel. This was my first time reading Dostoevsky, and I’ll admit, I was a bit apprehensive. But just two sentences in, and he had me by the collar.

The narration is nothing short of a masterpiece—part one is written in the ramblings of an Underground Man, with run-on sentences, contradictions piled on contradictions, moments of deep philosophical musings, and even some comedy. I really fell in love with the narrative style.

What stood out most to me was the dynamic between the narrator and the reader. The novel pulls you into a back-and-forth, prompting you to reread, decode, and reflect on the narrator just as he does on you. Themes of loneliness, classism, and existential angst are explored with striking intensity, making you reflect deeply on the nature of human existence.

The second part of the story, however, is where the lines blur as to who the Underground Man really is. As you learn more about him, you start to see how similar he is to you. While vile and often off-putting, his thoughts are nothing new—we’ve all had them before! The Underground Man is “us.” As he says, “I am not justifying myself with this allness. As far as I’m concerned, I have merely carried to an extreme in my life what you have not dared to carry even halfway, and what’s more, you’ve taken your cowardice for good sense, and found comfort in this, deceiving yourselves.” Such an ending leaves you with nothing to do but stare, befuddled, into your ceiling.