Notes from Underground

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Casa editrice: CLXBX

Sinossi

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a groundbreaking and deeply introspective novella that delves into the fractured mind of one of literature's most unforgettable narrators. Dark, provocative, and philosophically daring, this work is widely regarded as one of the first existentialist novels and a powerful exploration of alienation, free will, and the contradictions of human nature.

The story is presented as a confessional monologue by an unnamed former civil servant living in isolation in St. Petersburg. Bitter, hyper-aware, and painfully self-conscious, the narrator—often referred to as the "Underground Man"—rails against society, reason, and the modern belief in rational self-interest. He rejects the idea that human beings act solely for their own benefit, insisting instead on the irrational impulses, pride, and self-destructive tendencies that define the human condition.

Divided into two parts, the novella first explores the narrator's philosophical reflections, filled with sharp critiques of utopian idealism and deterministic thinking. In the second part, he recounts episodes from his past, including humiliating encounters with former acquaintances and a deeply troubling relationship with a young woman named Liza. These experiences reveal not only his cruelty and insecurity but also his desperate longing for connection and dignity.

Dostoevsky's psychological insight is both unsettling and profound. The Underground Man is at once repellent and sympathetic—a man trapped by his own intellect and resentment, aware of his flaws yet unable to escape them. Through this complex figure, Dostoevsky examines themes of freedom, suffering, moral responsibility, and the human need to assert individuality—even at great personal cost.

Bold, ironic, and intensely personal, Notes from Underground challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths about pride, isolation, and the limits of rationality. Its influence on modern literature and philosophy has been immense, shaping existential thought and inspiring generations of writers. This haunting and thought-provoking novella remains a timeless exploration of the hidden recesses of the human psyche.

Disponibile da: 27/02/2026.

Lunghezza di stampa: 150 pagine.

Narrativa

Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

Prelude - A Classic Literary...

Katherine Mansfield

What if a single day could reveal the hidden currents of family life, desire, and ambition? In Katherine Mansfield’s "Prelude", you’ll be drawn into the world of the Burnell family as they prepare for a move to the countryside. Beneath the surface of everyday routines, subtle tensions, quiet rivalries, and moments of tender affection reveal the complexity of human emotion, all rendered with Mansfield’s trademark elegance, wit, and psychological insight. From fleeting glances to whispered conversations, every interaction uncovers the joys, frustrations, and unspoken longings that define family life. Rich in atmosphere and delicately observed detail, "Prelude" invites reflection on love, relationships, and the beauty hidden in ordinary moments. Press play and immerse yourself in Mansfield’s luminous prose - a captivating journey where every thought, gesture, and moment resonates with timeless insight and emotional depth.

Mostra libro

Escape

Paul Ernst

Escape by Paul Ernst - A brief weird tale about the escape of a madman! 
He had the craziest form of craziness I'd ever seen. 
Of course, I hasten to add, I hadn't seen much. I'd been through an asylum once before, as now, to get a story for my paper on treatment and condition of State inmates, and that was all. On that former trip I'd witnessed nothing like this; nor had I, till now, on this trip. 
The man didn't look crazy. So often they don't

Mostra libro

The Frog Prince

A.M. Rose

A man without a crown could still be a prince. But what about a monster?Adalwin has always been a prince. Born into royalty as the heir to the throne of Hallin, he was raised to rule a kingdom. Only, the one he receives is not the one he expected. 
Cruelly cursed and presumed dead by all who once knew him, his kingdom is now made up of a murky glen where water-splashers dwell and crooked linden trees block the light. Sitting on a throne built from bracken and moss, his only subjects are those creatures that won't run in terror at first glance. 
After all, who could swear fealty to a monster? 
Only the bravest cross the borders into the Frog Prince's kingdom, drawn by whispered rumors of a boon should you meet his price. An opportunity for him to show the man underneath the monster—a chance to break the curse's shackles and return home. 
When a beautiful, kind-hearted man with hair blessed by the sun itself stumbles into his lair looking to make a deal, more than just Adalwin's interest is stirred. Maybe his lonely heart is too. But when the man tries to break the deal, the Frog Prince must come to collect. 
 
Contains mature themes.

Mostra libro

When a Man’s a Man - A Story of...

Harold Bell Wright

Here is a land where a man, to live, must be a man. It is a land of granite and marble, strong stone and gold—and a man’s strength must be as the strength of the primeval hills. It is a land of oaks and cedars and pines—and a man’s mental grace must be as the grace of the untamed trees. It is a land of far-arched and unstained skies, where the wind sweeps free and untainted, and the atmosphere is the atmosphere of those places that remain as God made them—and a man’s soul must be as the unstained skies, the unburdened wind, and the untainted atmosphere. It is a land of wide mesas, of wild, rolling pastures and broad, untilled, valley meadows—and a man’s freedom must be that freedom which is not bounded by the fences of a too weak and timid conventionalism.In this land every man is—by divine right—his own king; he is his own jury, his own counsel, his own judge, and—if it must be—his own executioner. And in this land where a man, to live, must be a man, a woman, if she be not a woman, must surely perish. Let’s listen, to learn what happens.

Mostra libro

Tomorrow May Never Come

Lyle D. Westbrook

Some say tomorrow is just another day, but will it come and go in its usual way? Or die out before the sun's first rays. 
The Evil Lords will rule with an iron fist, bringing death and destruction to those who resist. 
A New World Order is what they want, to make mankind bow down to a One World Government. 
Famine, Pestilence, Starvation, and Disease, are the order of the day. 
For the wrong he's done, mankind has a terrible price to pay. 
From heaven above, the world burns without end. "Oh, Lord, please deliver us from evil," are the cries of men. 
The Earthquakes and lava flows free, as mountains crumble to the sea. 
But, were we not told this was to be? 
"Oh, Lord, will we never learn the lessons of life? The ones taught by Buddha, Mohamed and Jesus Christ." 
Black and White, Day and Night, Opposites always fight. One without the other cannot be. No matter who's wrong or right? 
With his last breath, I wonder now what the atheist thinks about death. 
Will Tomorrow ever come? Has the reign of man really come to an end, or will a new race be born that will learn from history's past?

Mostra libro

48 Clues into the Disappearance...

Joyce Carol Oates

When a woman mysteriously vanishes, her sister must tally up the clues to discover her fate. 
 
 
 
Marguerite, a beautiful woman, has disappeared from her small town in Upstate New York. But is foul play involved? Or did she merely take an opportunity to get away for fun, or finally make the decision to leave behind her claustrophobic life of limited opportunities? 
 
 
 
Her younger sister Gigi wonders if the flimsy silk Dior dress, so casually abandoned on the floor, is a clue to Marguerite's having seemingly vanished. The police examine the footprints made by her Ferragamo boots leaving the house, ending abruptly, and puzzle over how that can help lead to her. Gigi, not so pretty as her sister, slowly reveals her hatred for the perfect, much-loved, Marguerite. 
 
 
 
Bit by bit, like ripping the petals off a flower blossom, revelations about both sisters are uncovered. Subtly, but with the unbearable suspense at which Joyce Carol Oates excels, clues mount up to bring to light the fate of the missing beauty.

Mostra libro