Notes from Underground (1864) is a short novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky that marks the transition from his early sentimental works to his later psychological masterpieces. It is widely considered one of the first novels. 📖 Structure and Plot
Dostoevsky wrote the book as a rebuttal to Nikolai Chernyshevsky’s What Is to Be Done? , which argued that humans could be guided by rational self-interest. Notes From Underground
The book is famously divided into two distinct sections that must be read together to understand the narrator's psyche. Part I: Underground A rambling, aggressive monologue. Notes from Underground (1864) is a short novel
He critiques the "Crystal Palace"—a metaphor for a perfectly rational, utopian society—arguing that humans are inherently irrational and would destroy such a world just to prove they have free will. Part II: À Propos of the Wet Snow Format: A chronological narrative of the narrator's past. , which argued that humans could be guided