Notes from Underground (original) Fyodor Dostoevsky

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a psychological novella narrated by an isolated, bitter former civil servant living in St. Petersburg.

Through a series of intense monologues and personal memories, the “Underground Man” criticizes society, rationalism, and the idea that humans always act in their own best interest. The story explores themes of free will, alienation, pride, and self-destruction.

It is considered one of the first existentialist works in literature and a powerful study of the human psyche.