The Double

The Double is a remarkable tale in the tradition of doppelgänger literature. As Dostoevsky examines the neurosis and paranoia that cripple a seemingly ordinary man, he produces a thoroughly ‘modern’ nightmare, brilliantly foreshadowing the works of Kafka and Sartre. Mr Golyadkin is a rather middling man, a somewhat insignificant government official. Then one day he meets his ‘double’ – a man with the same name, face and background. Initially charmed by the co-incidence, Golyadkin soon notices a discernable cooling in the reaction of his friends and colleagues towards him, whilst his double seems to grow in popularity. Unable to escape the relentless presence of ‘Golyadkin junior’, suddenly even the most ordinary activities – going shopping, attending parties – take on a terrifying significance, and Golyadkin finds himself on the brink of breakdown.