So far so good

     When we were first instructed to begin reading Notes From the Underground and annotate its pages, I was slightly intimidated. Although the length of the novel itself is fairly short, the depth of each page is immense and extremely thought-provoking. I am familiar with Dostoyevsky's work, as I am currently reading Crime and Punihsment, yet Notes From the Underground is a completely different ballpark. I was intrigued with the first line of the story. The way the narrator introduces himself- as a sick man, a spiteful man, is different and interesting. I have always been a fan of Dostoyevsky's writing ability. The language and syntax he employs has a lyricism and beauty that is obvious right off the bat. One thing in particular that drew me into this story though, was the inherent contradictions the narrator describes. The man, an unknown, unnamed man (a part of me feels like we will never be given a name to our storyteller), is a walking contradiction himself. When he is not being contradictory, he is being sarcastic, condescending, and even pathetic at times. Although I am only on page 18, I already enjoy reading this novel. Sometimes it takes me about four or five times to reread a passage to fully grasp what Dostoyevsky is getting at, but I like it nonetheless.