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Some call him a Russian Mark Twain. And with his special blend of comedy, social commentary, and fantasy, Nikolai Gogol paved the way for his countrymen Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. This sampling of Gogol's works includes the increasingly fantastic entries of 'The Diary of a Madman,' followed by the wonderfully surrealistic 'The Nose,' in which the title character embarks on some unlikely activities when separated from its owner's face. In 'The Carriage,' a pompous landowner gets his comeuppance when he attempts to impress a general. Rounding out the collection are the woefully comic tale of a clerk's acquisition of 'The Overcoat' and the celebrated novella 'Taras Bulba' about the Ukrainian mythic hero said to have led a bloody Cossack revolt against the Poles. 'The greatest artist that Russia has yet produced.' Vladimir NabokovTranslated by Priscilla Meyer and Andrew R. McAndrew With a New Introduction and an Afterword by Priscilla Meyer… (more)
User reviews
My favorite out of the bunch is 'Diary of a Madman' - about a low ranking clerk and delusions of grandeur after learning that his crush is getting married to a rich man.
'The Nose' just seemed silly. A bit of googling tells me its really a satire on how easy it is to climb the social ladder in Russia, but honestly just thought it was annoying. 'The Carriage' was just annoying - full of pompous people, and than the story just ended.
'The Overcoat' is the one story that made me sad. A man needs a new coat, scrimps and saves, only to have it stolen the first day he wears it. Its also a story commenting on society, in this case, the have's and the have not.
The last story, 'Taras Bulba', is about the Cassocks of the Ukraine. This story is the one that explained Russia to me, or at least a bit of ethos of Russia. Reading it, I could tie modern Russia to the time of pillaging Russia. The story is long, but beautifully written. At times it drags too much. As someone who is against pointless violence, I found it hard to understand motives of Taras Bulba. But I'm glad I read it.