Records from a cellar hole

In the first part of this psychological novel published in 1864, the nameless first-person narrator, a fallen former civil servant, expresses his hatred for modern society, which he accuses of immorality and materialistic thinking. At the same time, he considers himself a typical representative of this society. The events leading to this are depicted in the second part, which takes place 16 years earlier: A disastrous dinner with his superiors, caused by his own fault, first destroyed his professional ambitions, and his cynical dealings with the young prostitute Lara ultimately shattered his human integrity.