Notes from Underground

Synopsis: How far would you go to escape the real world? The underground man had always felt like an outsider. He doesn't want to be like other people, working in the ant-hill' of society. So he decides to withdraw from the world, scrawling a series of darkly sarcastic notes about the torment he is suffering. Angry and alienated, his only comfort is the humiliation of others. Is he going mad? Or is it the world around him that's insane?

Review: I could kick myself because I've only just realised the importance of reading the correct translation of this book, and I'm not altogether sure that this was the best translation, however, it was the only one in the library. It seems that Pevear and Volokhonsky are widely regarded to be the best translators of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky though I guess, like everything, it's subjective.

It's not an easy read that's for sure, even though it's short at around 150 pages, it was definitely a struggle to begin with (and perhaps that was down to the translation, I don't know).

He's most definitely Mr Angry, our man from Underground. He has a liver complaint and a toothache and yet he refuses treatment .. out of spite he says and spite is something he knows a lot about.

The first part of the book is a monologue from the narrator, our Underground Man. He starts off saying 'I am a sick man .. I am an angry man. I am an unattractive man' He's full of hate, he's disillusioned with the world, he's disillusioned and ashamed of his fellow man. He hates himself, he's paranoid and vindictive. His thoughts writhe and twist about in an agony of torment .. he broods and festers!

The second part of the book is a record of some specific events which befell our Underground Man earlier in his life and this was a lot easier to read. He invites himself to dine with a bunch of old school fellows, they clearly don't want him there but for the most part remain civil and courteous. Underground Man, suffering from real or imagined slights, begins abusing them verbally. He thinks they are looking down at him, being condescending and his behaviour towards them would make Victor Meldrew blush. He alternates between being outrageously rude and insolent to feeling humiliated and craving their approbation. At times his behaviour is nothing short of maniacal (but you couldn't help laughing from time to time, his behaviour was like a toddler's. At one point, after his friends had moved away from him to enjoy a few drinks on their own .. he marched up and down in front of them, making as much noise as possible, for three hours!).

That same evening he visits a young prostitute called Liza, he attempts to point out to her how terrible her future life will be if she continues to live in this low way. He illustrates it all with words so profound, that Liza is moved to tears. As he leaves, he gives her his address and tells her to come to him. As soon as he wakes up the following day he regrets this folly, he's oppressed by the thought that she will come to his shabby apartment and see him in his filthy clothes. He thinks she views him as heroic but that will all alter if she comes. He broods on this and it starts to annoy him (practically everything does) but as a few days pass and she doesn't appear, he relaxes and even indulges in a few romantic daydreams about her.

But then, during the worst possible time, when he is dressed as shabbily as possible and snarling and hurling insults at his servant, Liza appears. Our Underground Man is so full of shame that she has any reason to look down on him that he begins insulting and baiting her and, the final insult, as she hurries from the room in great distress, he runs after her and puts money in her palm.

This is where the narrator says that he will write no more from the Underground, although Dostoevsky adds a footnote to say that the notes continued on, but not for our eyes.

A challenging read, I enjoyed the second half more. I'd like to read the other translation someday, just to see if it makes a difference.