A review by coffeedrops
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

 The second part was easier to read but I preferred the first part.

I agree that people will never be truly rational and that sometimes it is that irrationality that they value the most, in fact I myself am an example of that. Not in the way the UM is in the second part, but still the same in different ways. I find peace in insanity sometimes and I wouldn't give that up for no rationality whatsoever, even if it costs me my well being. That's what makes me me. If everything I did was rational I think I'd be nothing more than a clog in a machine, there's no place for my free will there. (I'm just rambling, hope it makes some sense.) The constant pursuit of learning about new things is a big part of what keeps me alive. If I'm devoid of it for too long it's not exaggeration to say that I kind of fall into a sort of madness. And there was a part about this in the book. It is the process of taking in that information and learning about something that is more important to me that actually having learnt that information. I won't be satisfied even if I were given an immense amount of knowledge at once put into my head, as there's no enjoyment in it for me even though I know that going through the whole process of learning it on my own is inefficient than simply getting the final product. Humans will never be completely rational and a perfect society isn't possible. Anyways, that is all for me, I'll end this ramble here.

 In general I liked the book and it's ideas and I thought everyone should read it. It's the kind of book I realize that I have to read more than just once to truly understand, and I shall do that sometime. But for now I think I will take a break from it and read some more happy stuff.
Inital rating: 3.8/5