What really happens when you meet your doppelganger?
Well, if you are "dangerously antisocial" and your double is charming, well-liked and has the social skills that you lack, then they take over your life by pretending to be you!
Dostoevsky's novella 'The Double' follows the life of Golyadkin, a low-level official who is a dangerous sociopath. After a misadventure at a birthday party, Golyadkin has a chance meeting with Golyadkin Junior - his double who looks just like him.
The theme of the doppelganger runs potent in the story, together with universal ones like depression, sorrow, alienation, and social injustice. The only solution for the protagonist is the asylum, where his mind can finally be at piece.
A sardonic, Gogolian tale of absurdity and social criticism that is proven to be a great read.
