“I am a sick man… I am a spiteful man. I am an unattractive man. I believe my liver is diseased.”
Part 1: Underground
The unnamed narrator, a retired civil servant living in St. Petersburg, introduces himself as a bitter, isolated man. He reflects on his life, filled with self-loathing and contempt for society. He rejects rationalism and utopian ideals, arguing that human nature is irrational and unpredictable. His monologue is filled with contradictions, oscillating between self-pity and defiance.
Part 2: Apropos of the Wet Snow
Chapter 1: The Underground Man’s Youth
The narrator recounts his early years as a petty official, consumed by insecurity and resentment. He despises his colleagues and feels humiliated by social interactions. His hyper-awareness paralyzes him, making him incapable of action. He fantasizes about revenge but remains passive, trapped in his own mind.
Chapter 2: The Officer Incident
He recalls an incident where an officer casually moved him aside in the street. Obsessed with the slight, he plots revenge but ultimately does nothing. Later, he deliberately bumps into the officer, who ignores him, deepening his humiliation.
Chapter 3: Dinner with Old Schoolmates
He attends a dinner with former classmates who mock and exclude him. Desperate to assert himself, he behaves erratically, insulting them before fleeing in shame. The evening ends with him drunkenly following a prostitute, Liza, to a brothel.
Chapter 4: Encounter with Liza
He delivers a melodramatic speech to Liza about the horrors of prostitution, hoping to “save” her. She is moved but also sees through his self-righteousness. Days later, she visits him, expecting sincerity, but he cruelly rejects her, unable to handle genuine human connection.
Chapter 5: Aftermath
Liza leaves in tears, and the narrator is left alone with his shame. He realizes his own pettiness but remains trapped in his spiteful, self-destructive patterns. The novel ends as it began—with his unresolved torment.
Key Ideas
- Critique of rationalism and utopian socialism
- Exploration of free will vs. determinism
- Psychological depth of self-loathing and alienation
- Rejection of societal norms and hypocrisy
- Existential despair and human irrationality
Who should read this book?
- Readers interested in existential philosophy and psychological depth
- Those who enjoy introspective, unreliable narrators
- Fans of Russian literature and Dostoevsky’s dark, philosophical style
- Anyone grappling with alienation or societal disillusionment