POST:Reactions to Notes from the Underground (closes Sun)

So basically, I'm extremely happy that were done with this book and I actually got through it!!! There's a million different ways to approach the UM, but I think that he's a very conflicted man and doesn't know what he wants out of life. Throughout the entire novel, he searches for approval from everyone, even the reader, and a sense of acceptance. On the other hand, I think he's scared of being accepted and runs away from people. Basically, he's a very conflicted and confusing man!

When I began reading it, I immediately knew that I'd enjoy it simply because I like books/films that make me think, which Part 1 definitely does. However, I enjoyed Part 2 even more because it was a refreshing change and was much more understandable, which made it easier to enjoy. Overall, I enjoyed Notes From the Underground, but I don't think I'd be able to make it through any of Dostoevsky's longer novels.

I found the first part very difficult to read. I became more and more confused as the first part dragged on. It was very difficult to focus and I found my eyes reading the words but my mind somewhere else. I had to read several passages over and over again and still I could only guess at what he was talking about. After some class discussion it became clearer as to what he was talking about. I came to the conclusion that most of the first part was all about existentialism and how choice makes us human. I was real frustrated with the first part.

Hi Folks,

I'm proud of all of you. This short novel is a killer to read, but you all gave it the "college try," and for that, I'm very pleased. I think Dostoevsky has also kick-started us to an entirely new and higher level.
I'm looking forward to your continued honesty and straightforwardness as we tackle some of the major works of literature.

Hang in there. Keep up the fine work.



Mr. K

When I first started to read the book, I had great difficulty comprehending what was going on. This was do mostly to the fact that I would doze off or I would be thinking about something else while skimming over the text. However as I got further into the book I began to understand Dostoyevsky’s writing style which made it easier for me to stay awake and actually know what’s going on. By the end of the book I had actually began to enjoy it.

One thing I noticed in particular in the book is that throughout the entire story, there seems to be wet snow. Normally when I think of snow I think of movies such as Frosty the Snowman where everyone is having a dandy time playing in the snow. However, for some reason when I think of snow in Russia, I think of long cold dreary nights, a perfect setting for the Underground Man.

Dostoevsky's idea of introducing the underground man as he was after all he's been through is brilliant. It completely changes the meaning of the novel. Since we know the reasoning and beliefs of the underground man before we see him in the story, he becomes a much more understandable character rather than the crazed lunatic that he acts like in the second part of the novel. Books are so much better when they don't come together until the end!

I must admit that I wasn't very fond of the book when I first began to read it but as I approached part II of the book, it got easier to understand and I even started to like the book. There were some pretty amazing quotes but the thing that I didn't like was how the Underground Man was so negative, and pessimistic.

As others had mentioned, I too thought this was a tough read. Although Part 1 was harder than the second half of the book, I didn't seem to enjoyed it more or less. The style of Dostoyevesky seemed repetitve and the story of the UM was almost annoying to me because he told all about how sorry his life was. The ending however, changed my attitudes towards the book completely. Though, through the whole book the UM had such a negative attitude, the last few pages made it all worth it. It was a good experience.

As a person who values social interaction highly in my own life, I felt alienated from the Underground Man in that I did not share many character traits with him. Thus, it was hard for me to empathize with his situation. He seemed to be a man who desired to surround himself with conflict, and so i did not feel connected with him in any way. In simple terms, the Underground Man is a pessimistic introvert, and I feel that I am a sociable and optimistic extrovert in almost every environment.

After reading this novel, I realized the effects alienation may bring upon a person. The underground man was constantly trying to change his persona as he interacted with the different people in society. It made me believe that he was sort of insecure with himself, especially his physical appearance. I sort of felt sorry for him because he did not have people who could support him when he was troubled.

I feel the pessimistic narrator of this novel was trying to trick me throughout the first half. He suttley contradicted himself, causing the reader to not trust anything he discussed. As a reader, I got so wrapped up in his continuous opinions that I would almost forget this untrusting demenor. The author's tactic of going so in depth when discussing each topic and his spontaneous transitions contributed to his intention of making the reader feel constantly confused.

Now my views on part II: I also enjoyed it but this time I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I didn’t want it to end, and the last lines of the book (the author’s own input) was delightfully humorous. My hope is that I grasped the meaning of the story because there were some things that I didn’t understand. Like how come the words became softer in part two? He supposedly should be the same age as he was when writing Part I, but the way he handled the context was brighter and more cheery as he continued (at least that‘s what I think). Perhaps this is so because he is telling a story and not just his viewpoints. We can also see how the character in the beginning seemingly correlate with the twenty-year old him. They both share the same eccentricities, yet I like the younger one.

Conclusion, Dostoevsky writing style suits me and I’m glad we read it first. I might even read The Brothers Karamazov.

I think this guy is just ridiculous when he goes off rambaling about this or that i find myself almost laughing which is probly wrong. He does make me feel better about myself after i read a few chapters. Also the story makes me look at life from a different perspective.

My first impressions of Notes from the Underground were that it was a pretty hard read, the UM is a tad hard to follow. He seems very bitter but he seems to accept that fact and he bases the rest of his story on it, or so it seems. He changes subjects really fast so it is hard to follow but hopefully part II will be better

I have to agree with most everyone else, this has got to be one of the most difficult books I have ever read.
However it's weird because, I think its so strange that it keeps me wanting to read. I'm just so determined to figure this thing out.
This U.M. is one messed up dude and to me he seems bipolar or just very pessimistic.


B

Kind of an awkward first read, the narrator is constantly questioning himself. He seems like a complex man and I bet as the story unfolds his complexities will reveal a problem in the novel.

Truthfully i was kinda shocked. I was sort of expecting a novel about not only the mental struggles of life as a a recluse, but the physical as well. When i first started reading it all it was about was his view on people, and their actions and how demented and inferior our human race was....nothing at all like what i expected. One word to describe Dostoevsky...wierd-o.

My first reaction was how the underground man(anonymous) reacted and changed to his surroundings. I found that his persona and control over his life changed as he was in different places. In his small kind of scary isolated apartment he had complete control and came off as almost cocky, in this isolated world he felt as if he was not only used to but tired of being intelligent and talked down towards othrs. The underground man also had extravagant ideas of what he would do when he got into the real world, but in reality when he appeared in the public eye those ideas completely sunk inside him and were hidden. His attitude in the outside world was opposite of that in the his isolated apartment world, in the real world he lost all control and took on this paranoid persona, and would manifest people's judgements hoping for them in the slightest way to pay attention to him but in reality he was invisible.

This book irritated me. It took me an hour just to read 8 pages and I've never considered myself a slow reader. I figured I would grow accustomed to the writing style as the story progressed, but that was not the case; it seemed to fluxuate as to avoid complete comprehention. The main character scares me. He's a freak and a stalker and I see why he has no friends. Since I'm writing this post after having completed the book, i can honestly say that if I was asked to recap the main ideas or even summarize the story, I would not be able to do so with ease, because I felt like i had to read, and re-read, many of the passages and my mind could still not process them.

I know this is really late, but I decided that I would mention my thought anyway. While I was reading, and especially when we had our discussion in class, the Underground Man reminded me of Our Town by Thornton Wilder. In the play, the character Simon Stimson has a monologue explaining to Emily that no one on earth really appreciates what they have except for artist and so on. It just reminded me of the Underground Man, how he is conscious of so much, like Simon Stimson, which makes life almost unbearable.

part one of Dostoevsky's Notes from the Underground is a rather difficult read. Although the rambling monologue rolls on and on, part one of this novel is essential to the story and explanation of the underground character himself.

After reading Notes From the Underground, I had a different perspective on the life of this man. Aside from the constant complaining and negative attitude, I feel almost sympathetic for him. If he didn't live in the type of society that he does, he could probably be a better person and not so bitter. Overall, it was a good book to throw in the mix for some variety.