Way Ahead of it's Time
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This is the first that I have read of Dostoevsky, given that the novel is less than a 100 pages long it is a good introduction to his very particular style of writing.
As other readers say, the book is split into two parts. In the first part the reader is kept blind as to who the protagonist is- and this done for great effect. The main philosophical themes are outlined here and cover the following: why man makes seemingly bad choices willingly and the impossibility of living a rational or moral life in a world which is neither.
I found myself nodding along in total agreement with all of these concepts- frighteningly still relevant in modern society. Dostoevsky takes every existential idea you've half had and creates a lucid argument which he closes down in the last few pages of the second part- `which is better, cheap happiness or exalted suffering?'
Fantastic read, but bear with the first 20 or so pages which are extremely dense and thought provoking. Once you get used to the rhythm of this narrative you'll be well and truly captivated.
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A truly gripping novel, focusing on the psychological anguish of existential/ethical nihilism.
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I don't usually read novels and was worried that "Notes from Underground" would be one of those "books that get recommended because they are difficult to understand and make you sound intelligent". Not at all. This is the best novel I have ever read in my life: a thorough, lucid analysis of what it means to be existentially and ethically nihilistic. Being philosophically-minded (though not educated), I found it very easy to read and literally couldn't put it down.
The nameless anti-hero ("Underground Man") despises the way that humans want to flaunt their arrogance, put on a performance for others, and judge others based on their performances rather than their intellect alone.
The more intelligent you are, the more you realise the deterministic and relativistic nature of life and ethics and the lack of objective knowledge... and the less capable you are of being resolute and certain, or even blaming anyone for their actions. Intellect does not allow you to rise above evolution or "the anthill" of society; it merely constrains you to a life of inaction and inner torment, and the realisation of the limitations of being human.
Human nature is, in many ways, quite despicably egocentric. But, in a deterministic world, revenge and justice are meaningless concepts. Underground Man struggles with this (and the realisation that he is as egocentrically abhorrent as anyone else), and tries to demonstrate his freedom by acting irrationally: to seek a form of personal justice not for its own sake, but purely in order to gain comfort from the humiliation of others. He craves understanding and recognition of his anguish about the futility of life, yet realises that in getting it he will drag others down to his level of despair, rather than pull himself out.
The book (which I borrowed) was so good that I immediately wanted to buy a copy to re-read, and I have had a (very brief) look at some of the various translations available. I have to admit to being disappointed with many of them, and would very strongly recommend Jessie Coulson's translation. Her words just flow naturally and sound like a fluent non-native speaker, rather than trying to use common English phrases at the cost of punchy clarity. I've seen another review that recommends the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation. I have not come across this, but will certainly hunt this down to see how it compares.
Dostoyevsky was clearly a genius. I have not read any of his other books, and I have my doubts as to whether they can possibly be as good as Notes from Underground, but there's only one way to find out...
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Unique, unforgettable
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This novel( or novella, it's only one hundred pages long in this Dover thrift edition) tells the story of an angry and isolated young man, the narrator, who bears a grudge against society in general and is plagued by feelings of inadequacy alternating with delusions of grandeur. He works as a lowly clerk in the civil service and is without prospects of advancement or friends, therefore he pours all of his frustrations onto the page in a torrent of words that does tell a simple story but also includes much musing on the human condition. The narrator is very convincing, and I couldn't help wondering how much of Dostoyevsky's own personality was in him. This book is very relevant to comtemporary society, as social fragmentation throws up ever more socially discontented people. In fact, what surprised me was that such a character as this existed or could be conceived of in mid-Nineteeenth Century Russia, as I had thought it to be a product of more economically advanced societies. Therein lies the author's genius, I suppose. In any case, this book bears the hallmark of deep and painful self-analysis, and refrains from offering easy answers. Once read, it will not be easily forgotten.
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A Gripping Tale
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It is somewhat ironic that usually the people who pick up this little book are going through a personal crisis. This is probably thelast thing they need. This is not a cheer-up book, although they may find some commiseration in the narrator's life.
Who is this narrator? Like the protagonist of Dostoyevksy's -The Idiot-, he is someone who believes himself to be superior to "the great mass," but who is so superior that he must live "underground" (much like living as an "idiot"). He is something of a voluntary outcast, who nevertheless manages little personal moments of stickin' it to the man... perhaps the funniest subplot is how he plays "chicken" with important people who are walking down the sidewalk...
A Russian literary critic is rumored to have said "Dostoyevsky is the nastiest Christian I've ever met." And indeed, you would be mistaken if you expected something overly life-affirming, even in an existentialist way, in this book. It is life-affirming only in a fatalistic Russian sense, of "No matter how bad it gets, we can always laugh about it." Even the one scene that is set up as a messianic, optimistic scene, turns into something ugly and spiteful.
Still, this novel is interesting and brilliant, and a great introduction to Dostoyevsky's psychological studies and his anti-rationalist, anti-Enlightenment crusade. If nothing else, it shows Dostoyevsky before he wrote he had written his major novels, and before he had been sent to Siberia (an experience that made him significantly temper his anti-establishment views).
All in a all I found it a gripping tale of man himself.
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"Which is better - cheap happiness or exalted suffering?"
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‘Notes From The Underground’ is a formidable work of philosophy and of psychology, not to mention its worth as a novel. In the space of around one hundred pages, Dostoyevsky manages to expound theories on reason, alienation, suffering, and human inaction. The book’s importance and influence on generations of writers cannot be over-emphasised; Sartre and Camus are only two examples of people who have been directly influenced by this book. The book is presented in two parts. Part one ‘Underground’ is written in the form of the nameless narrator’s rambling thoughts on reason and his claim that throughout history, human actions have been anything but influenced by reason. Underground Man’s charge is that man values most the freedom to choose to act in opposition to reason’s dictates. Dostoyevsky’s critique of reason then, although it demands attention and is somewhat difficult to follow, sets the philosophical foundations for the rest of the book. Part two ‘A Propos of the Wet Snow’ is much easier to read, as the narrator recounts three episodes which happened when he was fifteen years younger and working as a civil servant in St. Petersburg. The first considers an incident in which an army officer insults him and goes on to detail Underground Man’s subsequent internal anguish at his inability to commit an act of retribution. The second episode takes place at a farewell dinner for an acquaintance named Zverkov. The narrator is utterly disgusted with the company in which he finds himself but despite this, he is unable – even though he desires it - to make them realise this. The third episode details Underground Man’s brief, painful and emotional relationship with a prostitute. Dostoyevsky is refreshing in this book thanks not only to his incredibly powerful prose, but also for the intense but subtle way in which the stories reflect and indeed embody his philosophical theories. This dark and pessimistic portrayal of the nature of man may not sit very comfortably with many readers, however the ideas expressed in ‘Notes From The Underground’ are as relevant and worthy of deliberation now as I am sure they were in 1864.
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