What do you think?
Rate this book
The Double: Complete Unabridged Edition
First published in 1846, The Double is a haunting early novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky that plunges deep into the fractured mind of its protagonist. Often overshadowed by his later masterpieces, this short but intense work stands as a cornerstone of psychological literature and a key precursor to the themes Dostoevsky would later develop in Notes from Underground and Crime and Punishment.
Set in the cold, bureaucratic world of 19th-century St. Petersburg, the story follows Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, a low-level government clerk whose lonely, stifled existence begins to collapse when he encounters his exact double. This mysterious figure—identical in appearance but everything Golyadkin is not—quickly infiltrates his life, undermining his reputation, seizing his position, and mocking his attempts at dignity and self-control. As Golyadkin spirals into paranoia, humiliation, and confusion, the line between reality and hallucination grows increasingly unstable.
Dostoevsky crafts a deeply claustrophobic atmosphere filled with repetition, irony, and creeping dread. Far from merely a story of mistaken identity, The Double is an exploration of the fragile boundaries of the self, the terror of social rejection, and the existential horror of losing one’s individuality in a mechanized, indifferent world. It is a novel about the fear of being replaced—not by someone else, but by a more competent, more charming, and more socially acceptable version of oneself.
This edition includes original illustrations that capture the brooding setting and psychological disintegration at the heart of the novella. Essential for readers of Kafka, Gogol, and Camus, The Double is a foundational work in the canon of existential and psychological fiction.
Set in the cold, bureaucratic world of 19th-century St. Petersburg, the story follows Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, a low-level government clerk whose lonely, stifled existence begins to collapse when he encounters his exact double. This mysterious figure—identical in appearance but everything Golyadkin is not—quickly infiltrates his life, undermining his reputation, seizing his position, and mocking his attempts at dignity and self-control. As Golyadkin spirals into paranoia, humiliation, and confusion, the line between reality and hallucination grows increasingly unstable.
Dostoevsky crafts a deeply claustrophobic atmosphere filled with repetition, irony, and creeping dread. Far from merely a story of mistaken identity, The Double is an exploration of the fragile boundaries of the self, the terror of social rejection, and the existential horror of losing one’s individuality in a mechanized, indifferent world. It is a novel about the fear of being replaced—not by someone else, but by a more competent, more charming, and more socially acceptable version of oneself.
This edition includes original illustrations that capture the brooding setting and psychological disintegration at the heart of the novella. Essential for readers of Kafka, Gogol, and Camus, The Double is a foundational work in the canon of existential and psychological fiction.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 8, 2025
About the author
Fyodor Dostoevsky
3,605 books77.9k followers
Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский
(Russian)
Works, such as the novels Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880), of Russian writer Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevski combine religious mysticism with profound psychological insight.
Very influential writings of Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin included Problems of Dostoyevsky's Works (1929),
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky composed short stories, essays, and journals. His literature explores humans in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century and engages with a variety of philosophies and themes. People most acclaimed his Demons(1872) .
Many literary critics rate him among the greatest authors of world literature and consider multiple books written by him to be highly influential masterpieces. They consider his Notes from Underground of the first existentialist literature. He is also well regarded as a philosopher and theologian.
See also:
Russian → Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский
French → Fédor Dostoïevski
French → Fiodor Dostoïevski
Spanish → Fiódor Dostoyevski
Portuguese → Fiódor Dostoiévski
Works, such as the novels Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880), of Russian writer Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevski combine religious mysticism with profound psychological insight.
Very influential writings of Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin included Problems of Dostoyevsky's Works (1929),
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky composed short stories, essays, and journals. His literature explores humans in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century and engages with a variety of philosophies and themes. People most acclaimed his Demons(1872) .
Many literary critics rate him among the greatest authors of world literature and consider multiple books written by him to be highly influential masterpieces. They consider his Notes from Underground of the first existentialist literature. He is also well regarded as a philosopher and theologian.
See also:
Russian → Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский
French → Fédor Dostoïevski
French → Fiodor Dostoïevski
Spanish → Fiódor Dostoyevski
Portuguese → Fiódor Dostoiévski
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.