The Double

The Double (1846) is a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, revised and republished in 1866. Dostoevsky narrates the story of Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin, a bureaucrat in the Russian capital Saint Petersburg in the 19th century. The socially awkward Golyadkin becomes increasingly paranoid as his existence is beset by the emergence of a man who is his exact double. The novel has been adapted for film, television, and radio.

This guide uses the 2009 Penguin Classics edition of Notes from Underground and The Double, translated into English by Ronald Wilks.

Plot Summary

Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin wakes up one morning and studies himself in the mirror. He calls to his servant, Petrushka, to ready his carriage. Golyadkin’s frantic, anxious thoughts prompt him to reroute his carriage to the office of his doctor, Krestyan Ivanovich Rutenspitz. There, he stumbles over his words and dismisses the doctor's suggestion that he should socialize more. Golyadkin is proud of his solitary ways. The doctor prescribes medicine to Golyadkin, but he quickly forgets, muttering about his enemies and their plots against him. Golyadkin exits the office, regretting his personal, awkward comments to the doctor.