Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Notes From The Underground: "To love is to suffer and there can be no love otherwise."

Exploring themes of existentialism and the conflict between determinism and free will, the novella features an unnamed narrator who embodies a pessimistic misanthrope. In the first part, he critiques contemporary philosophical schools like utilitarianism and positivism, influenced by Nikolay Chernyshevsky. The second part shifts towards a narrative format, recounting the narrator's struggles with social interactions and feelings of alienation, ultimately culminating in his indecision about concluding his reflections.