Fyodor Dostoyevsky – Notes From Underground (1864)
Novel – read on Kindle during August 2011, a free download
- 5 nods out of 5 -
‘Gentlemen, you must excuse me for being over-philosophical; it’s the result of forty years underground!’
Here are the words of the man from underground, the narrator in Dostoyevsky’s revered and renowned short novel from 1864. In the English language it is popularly referred to as Notes from THE Underground; but the Worm feels its more literal translation from Russian befits the writer and the mood much more. After all, just where is THE underground? A place, or perhaps better yet, a mood within us.
Existentialists in coffee shops have spilt much breath upon the merits of this novel. Narrated by an unnamed man, the first part of the story is a collection of rants and rambling observations. Topics are covered, ranging from suffering to theories of reason and logic. While the second part (Apropos of the Wet Snow) follows more of a traditional story pattern, as the narrator seeks off to prove a point to a circle of acquaintances, before making contact with a prostitute, who like himself, is in search of approval (and, perhaps, love). Much is attacked throughout the book: aspirations of love, western philosophy, the bureaucracy of work, manners, social norms, and on and on. Whilst riddles abound on every page.
The novel’s chief selling point is the unnamed narrator himself. Pathetic but scathing, pitiful yet insightful; he is not a man to be trusted. The use of the ‘unreliable narrator’ has come in and out of fashion with every generation, but very rarely is it accomplished to such an art. The reader must question at every turn just what is being said, the subtext, the hidden meaning. Dostoyevsky doesn’t make it easy for us:
‘I believe I made a mistake in beginning to write them, anyway I have felt ashamed all the time I’ve been writing this story; so it’s hardly literature so much as a corrective punishment.’
With the vast amount of thought within these pages, it is easy to assume a vision of Dostoyevsky smugly gazing down upon the reader. But despite the somewhat heavy discussion of free will and of the modern world, there is also a great deal of emotion to sway us. The narrator’s two scenes with the prostitute are intriguing and, aside from philosophical discussion, the strongest in the novel: here we get to see the chief character in action amongst others. After at first berating the prostitute, he tries making amends by giving his address; only to regret this when she threatens to call days later.
Make what you will of the narrator: to trust or not to trust. But the art of Dostoyevsky’s writing cannot be in doubt. Pick up a copy, grab a cup of coffee, fling on a beret, and let your heart sing about existentialist ideas! Notes from Underground is a classic to be enjoyed.
