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Notes from the Underground
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Classics
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Summary
In this work, we follow the unnamed narrator of the story, who, disillusioned by the oppression and corruption of the society in which he lives, withdraws from that society into the underground. A dark and politically charged novel, Notes From Underground is Dostoyevsky at his best.
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What listeners say about Notes from the Underground
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- emil
- 05-09-18
wow that was pretty darn good.
loved it. it is now one of my all time favorites. The narrator also is top class.
3 people found this helpful
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- Robert
- 28-03-18
Not what I was expecting but not in a bad way
Found it quite different to his other work, which is supposed to be the point I think. Can't say I enjoyed it as much as Crime and Punishment or The Brothers Karamazov, but it was clever, uncomfortable and thought provoking. Mercifully short.
1 person found this helpful
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- Mr Henry
- 07-04-17
Mesmerising and ghastly - in a good way
Wow. Dostoevsky can paint a bleak picture of humanity. And here he's less wordy than his other more massive works. A brilliant introduction to this most psychological of authors.
1 person found this helpful
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- Manda N
- 25-03-16
Needs full concentration, not a casual read
Any additional comments?
Simon vance performance is second to none and frankly I was able to finish purely because he was narrating. Divided into two parts, this is the ramblings and inner thoughts of a person on the edge of society. I can see why it's a classic and respect this Dosteovesky novel for its great writing. But it didn't engage me sufficiently. Perhaps I didn't devote the full concentration it perhaps deserves.
3 people found this helpful
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- el-suri
- 05-05-22
brilliant
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Brilliant performance. Unexpectedly funny and yet poignant.
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- William
- 17-03-22
excellent
A truly amazing introduction to Fyodor's works! This book will make you pause and think at many stages, do you relate to the protagonist? How can such a book still be so relevant to day to day life. Brilliant.
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- Anonymous User
- 05-12-21
Great book
Now my favourite book, a great insight into how our brains work and why some are mad if they work a little more efficiently.
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- Kindle Customer
- 10-03-21
Whispersync not working
Apparently this audiobook is a paired version with a kindle version. Audible state I have whispersync for this book, but when reading/ trying to listen on kindle, it asks me to upgrade for audio -- the peter coates version. Very odd.
Notes from the Underground is a gorgeous book and for listeners interested in philosophy and ideas from the Right, Notes is great literature, especially part 1.
Simon Vance does a great job with the narration; Audible whispersync, not so much.
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- Anthony W.
- 10-10-20
Unique
This book is a good story telling book however Dostievsky does not tell you where the character goes wrong so you must think for yourself to learn from the main character's mistakes. If you can then there is much to learn from this book!
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- Barnacles
- 27-11-19
Started off very slowly.
I thoroughly enjoyed the narration. I was about to give up after 30 minutes but persevered (I'm glad I finished it). A very thought provoking listen.
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- Oleg
- 15-06-16
great book, great narration
my favorite Dostoyevsky read by, now my favorite narrator, Simon Vance. Mr Vance makes this novella a whole experience. Am looking forward to another listen in the near future, this time it won't be Dostoyevsky bringing me back for more, it'll be Simon Vance.
13 people found this helpful
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- fred
- 16-11-15
insights that transcend time
Loved it. Why can't every authour write as well, or, at the least, use Dostoevsky as a measuring stick for their own plots, styles and themes? And such themes--of truth, of character, of love, hate, ideology and motives. 'Notes' has insights that are more contemporary than most self-help books written only last week: timeless. And an Anti-Hero that readers can use as a measuring stick of symptoms to identify in one's own psyche. Could there have been a Breaking Bad without this authour's formulation of the seminal, negative (yet honest to a fault) existential protagonist?
18 people found this helpful
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- Tad Davis
- 13-10-09
Awful hero, great narrator
Another in Dostoevsky's line of repulsive (but immediately recognizable) main characters. The Underground Man is someone you want to grab by the collar and shake till his teeth rattle. Simon Vance (as usual) gives a superb performance.
22 people found this helpful
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- brad rothman
- 01-02-19
Personally Gripping
Dostoevsky is one of the greatest for a reason. The story cut to my heart it reminded me of my darkest days and showed me the kind of person I once was, and made me so glad to have raised myself form such a place of self conflict, loathing, and pretentiousness. As the author says there is no doubt there are many people just like the main character dwelling in the world today.
6 people found this helpful
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- Andy
- 26-10-17
Works pretty well as an audiobook
Thanks partially to the story itself, and partially to the narration, this audiobook is very listenable and not a bad way to digest some Dostoyevsky.
There are a minimal number of characters (so you need not memorize dozens of Russian names which might be indistinguishable to most anglophone ears).
And Simon Vance narrates the prose wonderfully, perfectly modulating his performance over the span of the work.
6 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 23-12-18
Insanely good narration!
Though the narrator does an incredible job bringing the maim character to life, the story by itself is already very real. you will get no nonsense here - only a comprehensive look into what it's like to fall into nihilism and contempt for life.
Intense.
3 people found this helpful
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- recursively.curious
- 27-09-15
A compelling yet appalling unnamed narrator.
One feels obliged to read Dostoevsky, and this is a short and less daunting way to start.
2 people found this helpful
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- Laura
- 04-10-17
Very Thought Provoking
I must confess, I adore Dostoevsky's novels, and this does not have the same feel or excitement as they do. If you want to touch upon only ONE Dostoevsky book, I'd suggest you choose "Crime and Punishment" or "The Brothers Karamasov" instead. They may be longer, but I actually found them to be much quicker and more fascinating reads. That said, THIS is still a remarkably well written and intriguing book, and well worth your time. It is not pleasant, but that is part of the point. It challenges us, and hopefully helps us to grow in the process.
4 people found this helpful
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- corridor5
- 15-09-18
Simon Vance’s narration is the best.
Simon performed Dostoevsky flawlessly. The emotion, cadence, and conviction of his narration truly brought the text to life.
1 person found this helpful
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- Ben
- 10-08-17
What are words?
It seems that the translator of this version doesn't know what sentence structure is, or how we speak in English. In fact, I don't believe this translator knows English at all, let alone Russian. Read the physical book, translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky, or David Margashak in certain printing.
5 people found this helpful