Review

🍃 Notes from Underground is a short book, but it’s not an easy read. It feels like a long, angry letter from someone who’s been thinking too much—and it’s both strange and fascinating.

🍁 The main character, known as the "Underground Man," talks directly to us. He’s smart, but he’s also bitter, lonely, and full of contradictions. He says he hates people, but it’s clear he wants to be understood. He doesn’t just argue with others—he argues with himself. It’s like watching someone wrestle with their own thoughts out loud.

🍂 He doesn’t believe in progress or happiness the way most people do. He thinks trying to be perfect or logical all the time makes us less human. He believes people don’t always want what’s good for them—sometimes they just want to prove they have the freedom to choose, even if they choose something bad.

🌱 The story isn’t told in a normal way. There’s no clear plot, especially in the first half. It’s more like listening to someone rant and confess their darkest thoughts. In the second half, we see him interact with others, and those scenes show how isolated and confused he really is.

🌸 Even though it was written over 150 years ago, this book still feels very modern. Many people today also struggle with overthinking, loneliness, and trying to find meaning in a complicated world. That’s what makes Notes from Underground special—it’s a window into the mind of someone who feels deeply, even if they don’t know what to do with those feelings.

🖨 Edition Suggestion : The Alma Classics paperback (translated by Hugh Aplin, 2006) offers the beautiful translation, while the Everyman’s Library edition (translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky, 1993) is the top choice for its superior production quality.