40 pages • 1 hour read
Fyodor DostoevskyNotes from Underground
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1864A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky is an 1864 novella divided into two parts: Part 1 is a philosophical monologue by the 40-year-old Underground Man, who is disillusioned with society and explores ideas like determinism and human nature; Part 2 recounts events from his early adulthood, highlighting his interactions with coworkers, classmates, and a woman named Liza, ultimately revealing the roots of his nihilistic outlook. The novella references sex trafficking.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky is both celebrated and critiqued. Admirers praise its deep psychological exploration and the raw, introspective portrayal of the human condition. Detractors, however, find its narrative style fragmented and the protagonist excessively nihilistic. Overall, it remains a seminal work in existential literature. Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from Underground.
Who Should Read Notes from Underground?
Readers who enjoy introspective, philosophical, and psychologically complex narratives akin to Albert Camus' The Stranger or Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis will find Notes from Underground engaging. Such readers usually appreciate existential themes, moral dilemmas, and the exploration of the human psyche.