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Notes from the Underground
Notes from the Underground: Dostoevsky's Collections | Feodor Dostoevsky
Notes from Underground, also translated as Notes from the Underground or Letters from the Underworld, is an 1864 novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Notes is considered by many to be the first existentialist novel. It presents itself as an excerpt from the rambling memoirs of a bitter, isolated, unnamed narrator (generally referred to by critics as the Underground Man) who is a retired civil servant living in St. Petersburg. The first part of the story is told in monologue form, or the underground man's diary, and attacks emerging Western philosophy, especially Nikolay Chernyshevsky's What Is to Be Done? The second part of the book is called "propos of the Wet Snow", and describes certain events that, it seems, are destroying and sometimes renewing the underground man, who acts as a first person, unreliable narrator.
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Daisey
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I do understand! I was casually listening to my audiobook today when this line caught my attention. I had to find the passage in Serial Reader and share. I never would have caught this allusion without the experience of reading #Clarissa.

#1001books #SerialReader

Ruthiella I love it when that happens! 3mo
Daisey @Ruthiella Yes! It also sometimes makes me wonder just how many allusions I‘m missing too. 3mo
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BC_Dittemore
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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Pickpick

Recently I read the first part (as it was included in a book of Existentialist philosophers) and decided to go ahead and complete it.

As a work of fiction it is a tough read, being that it is essentially one long tirade. But as an audiobook narrated by George Guidall? It is fantastic. That‘s not to imply that it‘s not fantastic in both forms, but having it acted-and acted so expertly-greatly increased my comprehension

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suvata
Notes from the Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky, Charles Guignon, Kevin Aho
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Pickpick

Published in 1864, this novella delves into the psyche of a nameless narrator, often referred to as the "Underground Man." The work is divided into two parts. The first part provides a monologue that critiques society and human nature, expressing his deep-seated bitterness, isolation, and a sense of intellectual superiority. He rejects the idea of a utopian society, believing that suffering and irrationality are inherent to human existence. 5⭐️

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lonelybluenights
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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It‘s been a while.

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TheSpineView
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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#Movie2BookRecs @klou
Prompt: Quality Time

Klou I really struggled with this one. Good job!
2y
TheSpineView @Klou It was a hard one. 2y
57 likes2 comments
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Pearjeans
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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Pickpick

Words can‘t really explain but I loved it

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Auntynanny
Notes from the Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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Pickpick

I found this book rather odd. The narrator was very unlikeable. He complained of living in poverty, and barely being able to pay his manservant. I'm still not sure if Dostoevsky intended for that to sound as ridiculous as it does.

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PaulAndrus
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Allow me to indulge my fancy. You see, gentlemen, reason is unquestionably a fine thing, but reason is no more than reason, and it gives fulfillment only to man's reasoning capacity, while desires are a manifestation of the whole of life - I mean the whole of human life, both with its reason and with all its itches and scratches.

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GatheringBooks
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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batsy
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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#7days7books Day 1

Seven books that left a deep impression on me and changed me.

Thanks for the tag @Leftcoastzen 💜 Feel free to have a go @Lcsmcat @Graywacke @sudi 🙂

sudi Thank you for the tag 😘. I've been meaning to read this forever. I think i will finally give it a try. 5y
Leftcoastzen I haven‘t read it.Long overdue. 5y
Graywacke Interesting 1st choice. What scared me most about this was the 2nd I read it the 1st part started to make sense. Thanks for the tag. 5y
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youneverarrived I need to read this! 5y
batsy @sudi @Leftcoastzen @youneverarrived I do recommend it, but it's dark and maybe too ugly for some. But so *good*, imho :) 5y
batsy @Graywacke It's one of those books that instantly spoke to me and that's terrifying in its own way 🙃 5y
Cathythoughts I havnt read this one. But Crime & Punishment will definitely be in my 7 books 5y
batsy @Cathythoughts I was torn between this and C & P! Went with this because it truly had an impact when I first read it in my late teens, a looooong time ago. And the effect still stayed when I reread it 💜 5y
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Clwojick
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Bailedbailed

Nope. I‘m a half an hour in, and I‘m bailing. There are far too many rambling thoughts and multi-page long paragraphs. I am just not into it. Maybe not the best way to start a Readathon, but at least its another book off of my shelf for #MarchUnshelfing.

@jb72 @Andrew65 @SumisBooks

BeansPage Keep going girl!!! You got this! 5y
sheshedbooks Also gave up on this before. Still haven't tried a reread. 5y
Andrew65 Goodbye book! No point persevering if you are not enjoying it. 5y
fleeting I like that hashtag! 5y
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Emilymdxn
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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Pickpick

I loved this! I do wish it had been longer, I was in the mood for a proper Russian doorstop novel with real room to breathe and it burnt out quite quickly but then if the only complaint I have about a book is that it‘s not longer it must have been good! Watching Dostoyevsky‘s characters‘ thought processes and how they justify themselves is amazing

batsy I love this book so much 🖤 5y
saresmoore This is a favorite of mine! 5y
Billypar I loved this one too: I don't think I've ever been inside the head of a more realistic social outcast. It could have been written yesterday. 5y
67 likes3 comments
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suvata
Notes from the Underground | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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Pickpick

Written in 1864 this book is often called “the first existential book”. It is the story of a man who locks himself underground to ponder life biggest questions. He philosophizes about the state of his Russian society and the behavior of mankind. In part two, he makes fun of the philosophies he proposed in part one. I imagine this was quite a controversial book in its time. It‘s amazing how much of it still “hits home“ today.

EH2018 Have you read Ellison's Invisible Man? He found inspiration from Dostoevsky 5y
Trashcanman This is my favorite short story of his hands down. I read it yearly. 5y
suvata @EH2018 yes, and I really enjoyed that one too. 5y
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suvata @Trashcanman I have a feeling that I will be reading this one again. There‘s so much to think about in such a little book. 5y
batsy I love this one a lot. Nice review! 5y
suvata @batsy Thanks 5y
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Naj
Notes from the Underground | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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Pickpick

What a weird little book. It packs quite a bit of philosophical musings for its size. Had a great time reading all the stories except for White Nights which I found to be trite. Adored The Dream of a Ridiculous Man! The only other thing of Dostoevsky I've read is Brothers Karamazov, which was years ago. Anyone have any other favourites by him?

Emilymdxn I found Crime and punishment really enjoyable! I‘ve only read a couple things by him but that‘s my favourite so far 5y
Naj @Emilymdxn Thank you. I'll read it next 😊 5y
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AnnCollins
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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I *may* have just went on a bit of a shopping spree. But thanks to the local used book store...it only cost me $15. I think my consciousness can bare it. Stocked up on some classics that I‘ve either read and lost my copy of throughout the years, or have been meaning to read for some time. Very excited, doing my happy dance.

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Jari-chan
Notes from the Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky, Charles Guignon, Kevin Aho
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There's no #underground like Dostojewskis.

#letstraveljuly

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Malisa
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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Panpan

What...on earth did I just read???

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LeePeckover
Notes from the Underground | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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I do ♥ Dostoyevsky

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Taylor
Notes from the Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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Pickpick

The narrator of this is....not exactly the ideal I‘m trying to live up to. Ha. But this is an interesting little novella, and it cracked me up much of the time. The worldview presented here is spiteful, disturbing, but deliciously fun.

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Taylor
Notes from the Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky

I hated my face, for example, and even suspected that there was some mean expression in it, and therefore every time I came to work I made a painful effort to carry myself as independently as possible, so as not to be suspected of meanness, and to express as much nobility as possible with my face. “Let it not be a beautiful face,” I thought, “but to make up for that, let it be a noble, an expressive, and, above all, an extremely intelligent face.”

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2BR02B
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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My new roommate has a waterproof notepad for jotting down ideas in the shower. I was not aware such a thing even existed.

LibrarianRyan Write in the rain. It‘s popular paper for geocaches and detectives. 6y
Suzze Someone else mentioned this recently. Interesting concept. 6y
AlaMich Ha! That‘s awesome! 6y
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Betty A good Chr gift idea, for someone into geocaches. Thanks @LibrarianRyan 6y
readordierachel That is genius. 6y
Mdargusch Wow! I love that. 6y
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plaidchuck
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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Ok folks! Last post for the #makemereadit challenge for August! These three books have now tied for third place at 3 votes apiece! So vote away even if you aren't participating to determine third, fourth, and fifth place! My #tbr is in your hands!

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Imbookenit
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My annual Dostoyevsky reading. I tend to read one ever year and a half as it takes me about a year and a half to get through one! But this one should be pretty fast, being only 280 v.s 700 pages #dostoyevsky

Imbookenit I LIED this will take forever, it‘s in first person 6y
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Faibka
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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Pickpick

Brilliant! Dostoevsky is a master observer of the human condition.Despite the size of this little book,it‘s densely packed with philosophical and psychological concerns that are further explored & expanded in his larger works. Through his self-tormented characters, D delves into the darker corners of the human psyche and the depth of his ability to dissect and expose it so masterfully through literature is unmatched by any author I‘ve read so far.

Faibka @brainyheroine loved it!!!! One of my favorites for sure and I will be revisiting it. Dostoevsky never disappoints! He has become my favorite author. My cat agrees (edited) 7y
batsy I think I've said it before but I'll say it again: this is one of my all-time favourites ? "master observer of the human condition"—so accurate. Great review. 7y
Faibka @batsy thanks! I loved it, I love his writing and the most unnerving part is realizing how much of the underground man lurks in all of us! 7y
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Faibka
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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A lot of food for thought about human behavior in this little book.

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Faibka
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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“I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.” ☕️

Happy Sunday! ☀️

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Faibka
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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Faibka
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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“But man is so partial to systems and abstract conclusions that he is ready intentionally to distort the truth, to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear, only so as to justify his logic.”

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Faibka
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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Hey, living beyond forty is not that bad, ok, lol

Lcsmcat 😂 7y
Anna40 😂😂😂! 7y
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Faibka
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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“I am a sick man... I am a wicked man.”

Wow, what a start! Very excited to finally get to read this one @BrainyHeroine

BrainyHeroine I hope you love it as much as I do!!! 7y
batsy I loved this! 7y
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Vegamon
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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Mehso-so

I finished my first Dostoevsky collection today. Not sure how I felt about it, I will have to wait a little bit and let it digest. I know that I liked it enough to take on his longer novels someday.

Graywacke Impressed. Notes from Underground maybe stood out a bit from the rest ?? 7y
Vegamon @Graywacke it definitely stood out from the rest, as the densest and most philosophical. I'm not sure which I personally enjoyed the most, either the double or notes. I also didn't give Notes the attention it probably deserved as I had a tough week at school last week 7y
Graywacke I don‘t remember The Double... : / 7y
theresidentromantic I read Notes from the Underground and Crime and Punishment in high school, as examples of unreliable narrators, but what always struck me most about his writing was his use of physical pain in his narrative. I hope you enjoyed it! 7y
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SkeletonKey
Notes from the Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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Current #serialreader classic. So far, I mostly want to call this one “angry white man shakes fist at sky.”

We shall see how it progresses.

#classics #litsyclassicsatoz #atoz #litsyatoz

AshleyHoss820 From what I remember about this one, that sounds about right! 😄😂 7y
SkeletonKey @AshleyHoss820 😂😂😂 7y
25 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Sg1224
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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Finally have time to finish my book. Russian lands = No foolish people.

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ValerieAndBooks
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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Mehso-so

My so-so rating is because:

⭕️ It‘s an older translation

⭕️ It was free e-book (hard to page back and forth)

⭕️ most of it I read on the treadmill

⭕️ I had to check cliff notes online (nothing wrong with that, but it interrupted my flow).

⭕️Underground Man rambles a lot

With all the above, it was a so-so experience. I read this for #1001books and it‘s short enough that I‘m willing to try again someday. Hope I like Crime & Punishment more 😬!

saresmoore I think (hope) you will like C&P much more! The translation makes all the difference. 7y
Kristelh This was my least favorite of Dostoyevsky. He is probably my favorite Russian author. 7y
SG2014 I ditto @Kristelh and C&P is one of my all-time favourite books. Hope you like it! 7y
See All 7 Comments
ValerieAndBooks @saresmoore Yes, and I‘m sure the read-along will make C&P a better reading experience 😊 7y
ValerieAndBooks @Kristelh @SG2014 Good to know! This is my first by him, but I‘m getting right back in the saddle with the C&P readalong. Not giving up on Dostoevsky yet 😊 7y
Liz_M I was enthralled by The Brothers Karamazov and also enjoyed C&P, but strongly disliked this one. 7y
ValerieAndBooks @Liz_M whew, I am relieved to know that other books by him are better 😅 because the two you mention are also on the #1001books list. 7y
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Sg1224
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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March + ☀️+ lunch hr = perfect time to start my March book!

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ValerieAndBooks
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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I'm taking this to mean that Underground Man gets so isolated that he doesn't do much other than read. Too much of a good thing (i.e. reading) can happen sometimes.

#1001Books reading-- nearly done with this one!

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erzascarletbookgasm
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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“I tell you solemnly, that I have many times tried to become an insect. But I was not equal even to that. I swear, gentlemen, that to be too conscious is an illness- a real thorough-going illness.”
I have not read the book but the blurb does tell that his self-pity and his determination for self-sabotage qualifies him as a neurotic person.
#fiercefeb #neuroticsociety @Cinfhen @batsy

batsy Excellent choice! This book 🙌🏽 7y
Cinfhen Not brave enough to attempt Dostoevsky 🙄 7y
Cathythoughts Brilliant 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
zezeki I'm currently reading it, and yes, he is quite neurotic. 7y
ValerieAndBooks I‘m currently reading this, in small doses, because Underground Man is a lot to take!! 7y
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erzascarletbookgasm
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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Cathythoughts ❤️Dotstoyevsky. Looking forward to reading the Idiot in January ✨ 7y
Billypar Not your typical peace quote...nice choice ☺ 7y
65 likes2 comments
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Faibka
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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Ready for the holidays! Thanks to @tpixie for the lovely card and chocolate! 💕🍫

Betty I gobbled my cookie. Oh so very very delicious! Thanks @tpixie 7y
tpixie Such a cute photo!! 7y
tpixie @Betty 😊🎄 7y
See All 11 Comments
tpixie Those socks look great! I want to find a pair like those!! 7y
Faibka @tpixie thanks, I got them at Barnes and Noble :) 7y
Faibka @Betty yes, very delicious 😋 thank you @tpixie ! ☺️ 7y
tpixie @Faibka ooo maybe our B&N in Wichita will have them!! 7y
Faibka @tpixie great! I hope they do, they‘re very cozy ☺️ they also had candy cane stripe ones 7y
tpixie @Faibka ooh! 7y
Ole That book may not be an obvious cosy read ...🤔 7y
Faibka @Ole Lol, I know, I‘m weird :) 7y
28 likes11 comments
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TheKidUpstairs
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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I'm with you, Fyodor. #Tea is life.

#QuotsyDec17 @TK-421

Louise Oh, yes! Tea is the elixir of life! 7y
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AMVP
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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Pickpick

#decinbooks17 #day12 - #yourlatest5starread

Wasn't sure what I was expecting going into this one, but was pleasantly surprised all the same. Begins with an engaging polemic that predicts the rise of Trump with startling accuracy 150+ years 8n advance. The rest is a social satire brutally sending up a certain brand of self-entitled heroism. Since Russian novels have the reputation of looking like doorstops, this one serves as a great entry point.

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AMVP
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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#quotsydec17 #day7 - #letters

"I swear to you, gentlemen, that to be overly concious is a sickness, a real, thorough sickness. For man's everyday use, ordinary human consciousness would be more than enough; that is, a half, a quarter of the portion that falls to the lot of a developed man in our unfortunate... century."

I picked this book thinking it was "Letters" from Underground, and I'm not getting out of bed again tonight, so...

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Lylah
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is hiding from my arguing family to read until it's time to make food. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Pretty 😊 Happy Thanksgiving!!! 7y
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Lylah
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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Starting on something a little shorter today!

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SubwayBookReview
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky
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Nisan: “These are notes from Dostoyevsky‘s alter ego. He finds humans ungrateful, himself included, and that people only tend to care about their own desires. I think that‘s true. You hear the words ‘I love you‘ every day but I don‘t think people mean it. It‘s been a while since I‘ve told someone I love them. Words loose their meaning when you overuse them – it‘s like chewing gum that you chew too much.”

Marz I picked it up 7 years ago and couldn‘t finish it. I have grown wiser and less cynical since then; do you think I should try it again? 7y
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