Book Details

Notes from the Underground

Notes from the Underground

(Russia) Fyodor Dostoyevsky / Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House /May 1, 2020

Notes from Underground is a novel by Dostoyevsky that has touched people's hearts. The book unfolds with the first-person narration of the underground man, depicting the morbid self of a retired civil servant of about 40 years old. This underground man is on the margins of society, both a bystander and a critic, and he has a painful reflection on his own situation and social phenomena. This work deeply explores the contradictions and struggles of human nature, and shows the self-division and irreconcilable conflicts deep in people's hearts. Through the complex character of the underground man, Dostoyevsky reveals the indifference of society, the distortion of human nature, and the desire for self-cognition. The book is full of philosophical thinking and is thought-provoking. It is regarded as one of Dostoyevsky's representative works of psychological analysis and moral exploration.


Outline Notes

Book Summary of Notes from the UndergroundChapter 1: The Underground1.1 Self-introduction of the Underground Man - Identity and Personality: Middle-aged, educated, lonely, self-abuse, morbid vanity. - Residence: Dark, dirty basement, symbolizing the dark side of his heart. 1.2 Symmetry and Asymmetry - Viewpoint: The pursuit of symmetry in life is an illusion, and reality is asymmetrical and chaotic. - Example: Symmetry in architecture may limit the imagination of architecture and life. 1.3 Reflection of the Underground Man on Life - Life Experience: Accidental events in life are more meaningful than necessity. - Self-cognition: Recognize one&39;s own insignificance and the meaninglessness of existence. Chapter 2: Wet Snow2.1 Past Love - Failed Relationship: The narrator&39;s short and failed love experience. - Inferiority and Arrogance: The contradictory interweaving of inferiority and arrogance in love. 2.2 Loneliness and Society - The value of loneliness: Enjoy loneliness, but at the same time long to be understood and accepted by society. - The hypocrisy of society: Point out the hypocrisy of society and people&39;s superficial politeness. 2.3 The conflict between fantasy and reality - Inner conflict: Finding oneself in the contradiction between the fantasy world and the real world. - Self-awareness: Reflection on self-awareness, realizing one&39;s complexity and multifaceted nature. Chapter 3: Gambler&39;s Psychology3.1 The temptation of gambling - The pleasure of gambling: Temporary relief and adventure excitement brought by gambling. - Escape from reality: Escape from the pressure and problems in life through gambling. 3.2 Self-destruction - Self-destructive tendency: Describe self-destructive behavior and psychological state. - Escape from responsibility: Unwilling to take responsibility in life, seeking quick and easy solutions. 3.3 The limitation of rationality - Irrational behavior: Explore the irrational choices people make in certain situations. - The challenge of self-control: The limitations of self-control and how to find a balance between impulse and behavior. --- "Notes from Underground" is a philosophical novel by Dostoyevsky. Through the description of the life and inner monologue of the protagonist underground man, it shows the complexity of human nature and profound philosophical thinking. The book is not only a narration of personal experience, but also a profound reflection on the state of human existence and social relations.


Catchy Sentences

Of course, for a work as profound and full of psychological insights as Dostoyevsky's Notes from Underground, it is a challenging task to select the wonderful sentences or paragraphs from it. The following are the sentences or paragraphs I selected from the book, each of which is unique, profound, beautifully written, and shows the author's unique perspective and wisdom. These contents will be divided into three parts (due to the large number, I will divide them into three groups, each group is numbered) for readers' reference. Group 1 1. "Not only will I not become a narrow-minded person, on the contrary, my mind will always remain open, and my feelings will always be willing to accept all beautiful things. It's just that I will maintain... my characteristics." - This sentence shows the complex and contradictory character of the underground man, who longs for beauty but insists on his "underground" way of existence. 2. "What makes a person a person is that he can transcend his nature, not that he just obeys his nature." - Dostoyevsky expressed his profound understanding of human nature through this sentence: the value of a person lies in transcendence. 3. "Reason is indeed a good thing, this is indisputable, but reason is just reason, it can only satisfy people's rational thinking ability, but desire is the expression of the whole life, that is, the expression of the whole life of people, including reason and all the itchy and uncomfortable feelings." ——The author made a profound analysis of reason and sensibility here, emphasizing the comprehensiveness and complexity of life. 4. "I am not just a malicious person, what does this mean? I am even proud of this fact: the evil in me is so great that even I can't believe what kind of bad things I will do." ——The basement man's self-analysis of his inner "evil" reveals a self-mockery and tragic color. 5. "I am a sick person... I am a malicious person. I am an ugly person. And you, you are a decent person, of course you will regard me as a monster." ——This sentence reflects the deep anxiety and struggle of the basement man about his self-identity and social role. 6. "The reason why I am in pain is that I am too impatient, and the reason why I am impatient is because of the servility in me." - This sentence revealed by the basement man reveals the subtle connection between impatience and servility in human nature. Group 2 7. "To realize your own meanness, you need to be quite mean. People with good hearts don't even think that they can be mean." - This sentence is full of irony and wisdom about human nature, revealing the complexity and difficulty of self-cognition. 8. "I am a person with an extremely complex personality, sometimes even to an incredible degree. I have a natural talent, which is to be able to find reasons to defend myself at any time and under any circumstances." - The self-description of the basement man shows his complex and changeable personality traits and his talent for self-defense. 9. "I love humanity, but I am really puzzled by myself: the more I love humanity as a whole, the less I love specific people, that is, one person at a time. In my dreams, I often passionately intend to devote myself to humanity, and once it is necessary, I may really sacrifice my life for humanity; however, I feel that I am becoming more and more alienated from humanity." - This passage deeply reflects the tension between the universality and particularity of human nature, as well as the paradox between love and distance. 10. "For a person who meditates, the best environment is a basement room: it is far away from the road, no human voices can be heard, and no one will come except himself; there is eternal tranquility and eternal loneliness, which is exactly what he dreams of day and night." - The basement room described here has become a symbol of meditation and loneliness, reflecting the protagonist's pursuit and yearning for the inner world. 11. "I wrote these things because I felt depressed. I felt depressed because I was eager to tell people, I was eager to say something kind and helpful to people, but not only could I not find a kind word, I even deliberately said only those words that were contrary to my original intention, but those words burst out from the bottom of my heart." - This passage reveals the complex relationship between writing and self-expression, as well as the inconsistency between words and the heart. Group 3 12. "Maybe all my views are just a kind of nonsense, but even so, it is still my nonsense." - This sentence reflects the author's persistence and sincerity in self-expression, even if such expression may be regarded as illogical or incomprehensible. 13. "I am a coward, but this does not prevent me from sometimes showing a bold and fearless face." - The basement man frankly revealed his cowardice and disguise, and the depth and courage of this self-cognition are impressive. 14. "The reason why I need social status is nothing more than to take revenge on society." - This sentence is full of rebellious and confrontational emotions, revealing the unique views and motivations of the basement people on social status. 15. "I am an extremely sensitive person. I can even feel every cell in my body." - This sentence uses an exaggerated method to show the extreme sensitivity and depth of the basement people's self-perception. 16. "The reason why I feel pain is that I am too impatient. But the problem is that my slave nature is also one of the reasons for my impatience. I long for freedom, but I am afraid of freedom." - Basement


Author Introduction

Title: Dostoyevsky: The legendary life and immortal works of the Russian literary giant Dostoyevsky, whose full name is Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, is one of the greatest Russian novelists in the 19th century.< His works deeply reveal the complexity of human nature and social problems.

This article will introduce the life, works and status of this literary giant in literary history from multiple perspectives.< 1.

Basic personal information Dostoyevsky was born on November 11, 1821 in a doctor's family in Moscow.< His father was a military doctor and his mother was a housewife.

Dostoyevsky was the second child in the family and had seven brothers and sisters.< 2.

Education and career background Dostoyevsky was educated at Moscow University, majoring in engineering.< However, he developed a strong interest in literature and eventually gave up his career as an engineer to devote himself to literary creation.

His first work, Poor Folk, was published in 1846 and received widespread acclaim.< 3.

Writing Career Dostoyevsky's writing career can be divided into several stages.< Early works such as "Poor People" and "The Double" mainly focus on the lives of people at the bottom of society.

Middle works such as "Crime and Punishment" and "The Idiot" delve into themes such as morality, sin and redemption.< Late works such as "The Brothers Karamazov" focus more on religious and philosophical issues.

4.< Style and Themes of Works Dostoyevsky's works are known for their profound psychological descriptions and explorations of human nature.

He is good at showing the complex psychological activities of characters through dialogues and inner monologues.< The themes of his works are diverse, including morality, sin, redemption, love, family and social issues.

5.< Personal Life Dostoyevsky's personal life was full of twists and turns.

He was sentenced to death for participating in political activities, but was later exiled to Siberia.< This experience had a profound impact on his creation.

In addition, he suffered from epilepsy, which is also reflected in his works.< 6.

Social influence Dostoyevsky's works have had a huge impact on later generations.< He is known as one of the founders of realistic literature and has had a profound impact on modernist literature in the 20th century.

Many famous writers, such as Virginia Woolf, Albert Camus and Franz Kafka, have expressed their influence on him.< 7.

Quotation and evaluation Authoritative media and experts generally have a high opinion of Dostoyevsky.< The New York Times once described him as "a giant of Russian literature", while British writer George Orwell called him "the greatest psychologist".

In addition, Dostoyevsky's works have also won many literary awards, such as the Pushkin Prize.< 8.

Latest developments Although Dostoyevsky died in 1881, his works are still widely circulated around the world.< In recent years, his works have been adapted into movies and TV series many times, such as "Crime and Punishment" in 2012 and "The Brothers Karamazov" in 2017.

In short, Dostoyevsky is a literary giant with global influence.< His works deeply reveal the complexity of human nature and social issues, and have a profound impact on later generations.

As professional contributors to book review websites, we strongly recommend readers to read his works to better understand the thoughts and creations of this literary master.


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