Fyodor Dostoevsky: "White Nights" and "Notes from Underground"

We're doing something slightly different this month as well:

I've always wanted to read Dostoyesvky, but never got around to it. Now a friend told me how much she enjoyed "White Nights". It's a short story of only 80 pages.

So I will suggest we read 2 short Dostoyevsky books - and then discuss them both that evening.
Initial focus will be on "White Nights", but also the "Notes" book.

"White Nights"
It was a wonderful night, such a night as is only possible when we are young, dear reader.
Dostoevsky’s story of young love begins with a chance encounter between the lonely narrator and a 17-year-old girl, Nastenka. Over the course of four nights, the two reveal their fears and desires to each other, yet Nastenka's heart belongs to someone else. Dostoevsky's love story, set during the bright summer nights of St. Petersburg, is a timeless masterpiece.

"Notes from Underground"
The unnamed narrator of the novel, a former government official, has decided to retire from the world and lead a life of inactivity and contemplation. His fiercely bitter, cynical and witty monologue ranges from general observations and philosophical musings to memorable scenes from his own life, including his obsessive plans to exact revenge on an officer who has shown him disrespect and a dramatic encounter with a prostitute.
Seen by many as the first existentialist novel and showcasing the best of Dostoevsky's dry humour, Notes from Underground was a pivotal moment in the development of modern literature and has inspired countless novelists, thinkers and film-makers.

Suggest and vote for future books in this google sheets document:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lIdNT7Z_nyzkpSq9jjnQe_jZoZDEHU0dACEFEvLaf40/edit?gid=855607985#gid=855607985

** Our venue, Cranberry in Zurich, do not charge us to use their space - therefore I would like to request that everyone buys at least one drink and / or food from Cranberry, so that they continue to be happy to have us be there. **