Reviews

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

lonodopo's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

mvttia's review against another edition

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challenging funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Even tho the first part may result slow and boring at times, it’s necessary for the purpose of the second part. I recommend reading Nabokov’s opinion on this excellent book.

dhishan's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

tayboud's review

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challenging dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

eliottavedis's review

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

mariaclemens's review

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challenging dark reflective slow-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

3.0

chery's review

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reflective slow-paced

4.0

Notes from Underground stands as a deeply insightful yet often overlooked work that delves into the human condition. The protagonist, the Underground Man, voices thoughts that we usually suppress, driven by a sense of sheer vanity. He boldly claims that he has taken his actions to extremes that others would not dare to, exposing the cowardice that others mistake for good sense. This intense self-awareness suggests he sees more genuine life in his extreme behavior than in the cautious lives of those around him, and perhaps it is as he fancies. 

Dostoevsky expertly crafts an anti-hero, bringing together traits that make the Underground Man profoundly unlikable. This serves to underscore the novel’s central theme: we are all, to some degree, estranged from the true essence of life, each of us metaphorical cripples. Throughout the narrative, the Underground Man expresses shame and doubt about his story, making the work feel like a form of self-punishment rather than a traditional literary piece. This raw honesty adds a layer of authenticity, transforming the novel into an exploration of human flaws.

In essence, Notes from Underground compels readers to face the uncomfortable truths about themselves and their own cowardice, making it a powerful, if disconcerting, read.

sorchaa's review

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

5.0

cassie_reader's review

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

***Easily one of my favorite reads of all time.***

Oh this is every existential thinker’s DREAM. 
I’ve never had such an urge to highlight, annotate, read critical analyses, & watch endless YouTube videos for any singular book in my life. 

Dostoyevsky’s writing touched on so many complex psychological ideas that he somehow was able to make not only digestible but RELATABLE. 

I’m still struggling for words to make sense of everything I’m thinking & feeling after this read… 


One article I read titled “the depiction of mental illness in the work of Dostoyevsky” by Allan Beveridge wrote a viewpoint of Dostoyevsky’s writing that felt spot on to me: 
“The core of Dostoyevsky’s depiction of madness is his view that it is a manifestation of a moral, spiritual crisis- his characters struggle with profound moral & spiritual questions and in the process lose their reason.”
It goes on to say : 
“…madness in Dostoyevsky’s characters results from the battle between good & evil in the human heart.” 

This just itches my empathic brain & waters my desire for deeper understanding of the human condition in ways I have not yet fully processed through. 

It’s safe to say I now have a MASSIVE reader’s crush on Dostoyevsky & will definitely brave more of his works. 

pandarius_pinkman's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad fast-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