Notes from Underground

by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Notes from Underground marks the first truly existentialist novel. This annotated edition includes an original introduction, a detailed biography of the author’s philosophical growth, and a cultural essay examining the novel’s lasting impact on film and literature.

A man rages against the world, yet refuses to step into it. He despises others, yet cannot bear to be alone. He is filled with contradictions—sharp, self-aware, and relentless in his dissection of human nature. Notes from Underground is one of literature’s most unsettling confessions, pulling the reader into the mind of an outcast who rejects society yet cannot escape his own torment.

Dostoyevsky tears away illusions of progress and logic, exposing the chaos beneath human consciousness. The Underground Man challenges everything—reason, morality, even the nature of free will—blurring the line between rebellion and self-destruction. What begins as a monologue becomes something far more intimate: a mirror reflecting the contradictions within us all. Notes from Underground does not provide answers; it compels us to ask better questions.

At Other Minds Publishing, we present this edition as part of an ongoing artistic dialogue—to amplify how Dostoyevsky’s influence continues to shape literature, cinema, and artistic expression, inspiring new interpretations of his work across generations.