The modern element in “Notes from Underground” is Dostoevsky’s exultation in human perversity. You can read this book as a meta-fiction about creating a voice, or as a case study, but you can’t escape reading it also as an accusation of human insufficiency rendered without the slightest trace of self-righteousness. If you begin by grieving for its hero, he upsets you with so much truth of our common nature that you wind up grieving for yourself—for your own insufficiency. “Notes” is still a modern book; it still can kick.
David Denby, “Can Dostoevsky Still Kick You in the Gut?“ For more contemporary readings of Dostoevsky, see Rob Goodman’s recent article on forensics, The Brothers Karamazov and the death of the courtroom drama.

20 Notes/ Hide

  1. effloreo reblogged this from millionsmillions
  2. fudgesmonkey reblogged this from millionsmillions
  3. kafkanaut reblogged this from millionsmillions
  4. nikipattanaik reblogged this from millionsmillions
  5. millionsmillions posted this