Dostoevsky published his novella in 1864, which is considered one of his most significant psychological achievements. In the first, essayistic part, the unnamed first-person narrator, a former civil servant living in a basement, expresses his contempt for modern society, accusing it of cynicism and materialism. At the same time, he describes himself as an ugly, malicious, and despicable person, thus representing a typical figure of this very modernity. In the second part, set 16 years earlier, the narrator initially recounts the failure of his professional ambitions due to his aggressive behavior at a dinner with friendly high-ranking officials, as well as his cynical treatment of the prostitute Lisa, whom he first promises to save, only to then harshly dismiss her.