Notes From Underground

[Jenn, moderator]

Please discuss the book Notes from Underground.

[Simon]

first impressions?
my first impression, after 30 or so pages (19%) is that i love the witty musings of this unsympathetic, unsuccessful man. he makes it so convincing how he, one, had to become a spiteful, lazy, embittered, characterless creature, because (this isn't easy to reexplain, is it?) perhaps of the stupidity of society, the difficulty of finding fulfilling work, and in his case, his own bad character and habits which don't allow him to enjoy the "sublime and beautiful".

[Lobstergirl]

I'm glad I have the Norton Critical Edition. I'm going to need a lot of explaining in the aftermath.

[Hilary]

I'm hoping to get a chance to read this!

[Whitney]

I have to say, I'm finding this one difficult to get through. Which I wasn't expecting, because I found Crime and Punishment to be fairly engaging. I'm interested to to hear what everyone thinks!

[Lobstergirl]

I agree, Whitney. The second part is easier to read because a plot (a very thin plot....) develops. What I never knew before starting to read was that this novella was a response to What Is to Be Done? by Nikolai Chernyshevsky, which was a response to Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. So these three books are having a conversation with each other. I still have no idea what the conversation is about, though.

[Simon]

I think the book is not about the plot except for towards the end, but about the character and his musings.
This is a very short book though (about 130 pages for Notes from The Underground?), so don't be discouraged!

This answer chain is interesting, Lobstergirl, and might tell us a lot about the ideas Dostojewski had. There should be something written about that in secondary literature on this Dostojewski.

[Whitney]

Lobstergirl, I read that in the annotations of my version as well, which I guess explains why the first part was difficult to get through -- as modern readers, we're inevitably reading it way out of context! I'm glad to know the second part gets a bit easier, though.


Simon, don't worry, I'm not giving up. With a book this short, I almost feel morally obligated to finish :)

[Emily]

I found this book for free on the book today! Good thing it's short so I can get caught up.

[Lobstergirl]

I also wasn't aware that Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and Envy by Yury Olesha, both of which I had read, were inspired by Notes from Underground. It does make sense, the way Ellison's invisible man is so alienated from society. The critical edition (Norton) also makes several comparisons to Hamlet.

[Gary]

I've just started this (20%) and while not the easiest of reads I am enjoying it. It's certainly making me think a lot.

[Gary]

I've just started this (20%) and while not the easiest of reads I am enjoying it. It's certainly making me think a lot.

[Melaslithos]

I've just finished it. As with any other of Dostoyevski's novels, it always makes me think a lot. I love how he is trying to capture the mind of his characters.

But it's also probably the first time in my life I am regretting not having a critical edition. I feel like there is a lot I am missing.

[Hilary]

I am struggling to catch up and understand Joyce's Ulysses, along with other books, so I thought I'd give myself a break and try this as it is short. Well, that's just been from the frying pan into the fire. Perhaps Joyce is the fire in this case. I had read the first part of Crime and Punishment before and had found it engaging. I just put it on hold for other books. Now this ...well, we shall see.

[Lobstergirl]

I'm just glad there's no test or paper. Sheesh.

[Janet]

I am going to start reading this tonight. The comments are making it seem a bit intimidating.

[Hilary]

For sure, Lobstergirl! I'd have a very cosy place at the bottom of the class, indubitably.

[Hilary]

Jane, you'll maybe find it a breeze, so don't be it off!

[Hilary]

Sorry, I mean Janet! Mea culpa.

[Janet]

I just finished part 1. It is somewhat confusing but like others have said, it does make you think. I can easily see that it is written in response to another book(that of Nikolai Chernyshevsky).

[Janet]

Part 2 was much easier to follow than part 1. It is a very intense little book however and sometimes one sentence was all that conveyed an important part of the plot. I saw the similarity to "Crime and Punishment" in part 2. For anyone, like Derek, who is tempted to give up, please read the first and/or second chapter of part 2 before doing so.