Notes from the Underground

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Summary: The best ever!
Review: The most entertaining, thought provoking, well written book page for page ever. 5 star writing just doesn't happen for 250 consecutive pages.. old man and the sea, animal farm, brave new world, etc, every flawless novel is actually a novelette, and this is the cream of the crop. Don't read this if you can't examine life (your own life most of all) honestly....one of his short stories is even better than 'notes', i forget which one, and to be honest i don't care enough to recall

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Summary: The perfect introduction to Dostoevsky
Review: I picked this book up out of curiosty regarding Russian literature and put it down a die-hard Dostoevsky fan. Well, in actuality, I literally threw the book to the floor...such was my utter disgust with the principle character. It's that powerful a book. Well worth your time.

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Summary: The Best Book I've Read Yet.
Review: Notes from Underground is by far the best book I've ever read. You are quite intrigued when you read the first lines of the book: "I am a sick man... a mean man. There is nothing attractive about me. I think there is something wrong with my liver." (There are different translations, however.) He goes on with his, I will call it "pessimistic criticism" (I know some of you will disagree) that keeps you reading until the unfortunate end. The Russian author's way of thought and philosophy cannot be matched and his experiences through everyday life are entertaining. I cannot believe this masterpiece only costs $.80. It led me to making Dostoyevsky my most favorite author.

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Summary: A Searing Psychological Portrait of an Antihero
Review: "Notes" is a true classic, with Dostoevsky at his most psychologically insightful. In this book you will find the roots of many of the ideas that Freud would later make common knowledge, particularly that of the contradictory impulses and emotions which unconsciously fight to drive the actions of each individual. To Dostoevsky, a human being can never be governed by reason alone despite popular views of his day. Upon reading this book, you will fall victim to some of these contradictory emotions yourself, as you are torn between loving and hating Dostoevsky's antihero. This nameless narrator is a man who believes to be the victim of excessive consciousness, but in reality, although no doubt a possessor of extreme intelligence, is consumed by desires beyond his control. At times this narrator serves as a mouthpiece for some of Dostoevsky's own philosophical views, at times he is an object of satire, but no matter what his purpose, he always holds our attenti! on and never fails to interest. The ending of the novel is particularly shattering.

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Summary: why i came to love russian lit
Review: picked up this book by accident. read the first page and knew i had to buy it. now i have it. i have read it twice. it makes for a nice companion in times of depression. it is about a depressed old loser but it makes me feel better. why? i don't know. maybe i'll know after reading it a third time.

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Summary: EXTRAORDINARY
Review: As a tropical Indian domiciled in Russia for the last twelve years, I can conclude that the making of Dostoevsky has a lot to do with still, brooding grey skies and the haunting expectations of a mellow beam of warmth that would instantaneously thaw the sleaziness of the world around.Dostoevsky digs deeply into the soul in his Notes as the prospect of this radiant salvation fades and he is forced to take refuge in his musty, cold world. His revelations are a demonstration of the fact that it is not enough to be happy, one must learn to accept it as a part of life. Despite the ostensible torment in his Notes, I feel that Dostoevsky enjoyed writing in his peculiar. masochistic way and would have hardly exchanged his self-dissecting agony for a joule of the Indian sun.

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Summary: The beginnings of a master
Review: Dostoevsky's Notes From Underground is simple in presentation and style, but hauntingly compelling as the narrator immediately seizes you, dragging you into the underground world he has created within his mind, and further to his soul. The simplest actions, the ones that most dismiss, have such a profound affect on the narrator, and one can't help but sit across from him, in some dimly lit room, listening it seems, as he speaks, often bitterly, but compellingly. Either immediately, or gradually, one eventually comes to the conclusion that this man who lives his entire life in some underground part of his soul, indeed represents at least a part of us, a dark part that we choose to hide behind. Dostoevsky understood and explored the dark side of human nature in all of his works. He delved into the absolute anguish and turmoil that exists within every human, and he began the journey of that dark side in Notes from Underground. It is a retelling of a man's soul, rather than a novel. It is one of those pieces of literature that literally changes the way you look at everything.

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Summary: Making Russian Lit Cool
Review: A book which has made the journeyed the generation gap into the arms of popular culture which, of course, has always had a subversive side to it. Indeed the main character of Notes.. is himself isolated from society and makes no attempt to cure the problem. You really feel you can get to know Dostoyevsky through this book, it is this vital quality, the up-front nature, which makes it so readable. It really is a good book to study if you're doing literature at uni and if not pick it up any way and see what it takes to be a writer in communist Russia.

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Summary: a beautiful look at bitter-sweet redemption
Review: This is one of the finest books I've read in a long time. Dostoyevsky is a master at creating nasty characters that you love. The lead character (clearly a jesus figure) is saved through life and suffering.

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Summary: Some Very Interesting Theories
Review: I read this rather short novel not sure whether i could handle some of his thicker books. However, from the very beginning i was suprised at how easy it was to follow and was very intrigued by the views of the main character dealing with the self destructive nature of man, etc. This is a very good book and i would recommend it to almost anybody.