Notes From Underground

'Notes from Underground' (sometimes translated as 'Notes from the Underground' or 'Letters from the Underworld') is a novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, first published in 1864. It is often considered one of the first existentialist novels. The work is divided into two parts: the first is a rambling monologue by an unnamed narrator, often referred to as the 'underground man', who is a retired civil servant living in St. Petersburg. This monologue is a bitter critique of utopianism, rational egoism, and utilitarianism. The second part of the novella, titled 'Apropos of the Wet Snow', recounts episodes from the narrator's life that exemplify his philosophical arguments.