The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu

In Notes from the Underground, Fyodor Dostoyevsky presents a striking portrait of a man who is bitter, isolated, and trapped in the maze of his own mind. The “underground man” scorns the ideals of progress, logic, and modern morality, while probing the deepest motives behind human actions. He speaks directly to the reader—not to gain sympathy, but to provoke and challenge.

Through an honest and painful monologue, the reader is drawn into a world of contradiction, self-loathing, and the search for meaning. Are we truly free to choose our paths in life, or are we prisoners of our own consciousness?