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Loading... The dead souls (1842)by Nikolai Gogol
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An intriguing, unfinished book (there are two volumes, with the second unfinished, and unreleasedin Gogol's lifetime). A satirical novel which explores Russian society, and particularly the ruling and landownding classes, in the early 19th century. In general, they are depicted as being some combination of weak, venal, idiotic, criminal, mean, gluttonous, etc., etc. It's pretty scathing, but in an cheery, good-natured way. The main character, Chichikov, has a huge amount of energy and ambition for making his fortune through shady schemes. The main one he pursues through the book is the purchasing of dead peasants (the "Dead Souls" of the title) from estate owners - presumably so he could mortgage them, although that's not entirely clear (and I hoped, as I was reading, for a more creative use to reveal itself). The book is sprawling, and kinda overlong by modern standards, but definitely has a modern feel to it. It is playful, and genuinely funny in parts. The second volume is unfinished, and it is very strange reading a story that has unfinished sentences and, larger and larger chunks missing as you get toward the end. Your interest necessarily wanes, until you and the book just drift away from each other. It's like a amicable, mutual break-up. This book by Nikolai Gogol is a classic. Beware, though, it is a challenging book to read. It is challenging because we use simpler language and sentence structures today compared to the nineteenth century. Be patient while reading the book. Patience will reward you. Gogol creates a rich tapestry of life in the 19th century and creates fascinating portraits of all the main characters involved. Our hero, Chichikov, stands out because he is out to buy 'dead souls,' or the lists of all dead serfs. This unusual endeavour and his escapades excite the townspeople, who gossip about him. Rumours fly, and he flees. Part Two, which Gogol did not complete, continues with the tale a few years later. The book is an allegory about society, and all that is possibly wrong with it. He does not preach, but when you read the book, you may see parallels with modern society, Nothing has changed. Read the book, and enjoy the poetry of a master. A grande obra-prima de Gógol, romance publicado pela primeira vez em 1842, no qual o autor, considerado o fundador da moderna literatura russa, elabora um retrato ao mesmo tempo lírico e satírico de seu país de adoção. O livro traz a história de Tchítchikov, um especulador de São Petersburgo que viaja pelo interior da Rússia adquirindo dos nobres locais documentos de posse dos servos (ou "almas") que já morreram, algo sem valor na província, mas papéis que poderiam dar a seu comprador um novo status diante da alta sociedade da capital. Baseada na mais recente edição crítica russa, a brilhante tradução de Rubens Figueiredo é acompanhada de quatro textos de Gógol comentando a redação do romance e um ensaio assinado por Donald Fanger, professor emérito da Universidade de Harvard, que analisa em detalhe toda a genialidade da prosa do autor. This edition of Gogol's classic satire includes both volume one and the surviving fragments of volume two. It also includes a very useful set of footnotes to provide background on the Russian/Ukrainian words and customs. The story itself is wonderfully readable and full of richly developed entertaining characters. I found volume two more interesting than volume one and was sad to learn that only fragments survive of the second volume. Belongs to Publisher SeriesColecção História da Literatura (Livro 93) Crisol (8) — 28 more dtv (12607) Everyman's Library (726) Gallimard, Folio (425) Medallion Penguin Classics (L113) Modern Library (40) Oriento-Okcidento (32) Penguin Classics (L113) Perpetua reeks (46) Is contained inHas the adaptationIs abridged in
Classic Literature.
Fiction.
HTML: Dead Souls is a socially critical black comedy. Set in Russia before the emancipation of serfs in 1861, the "dead souls" are dead serfs still being counted by landowners as property, as well as referring to the landowners' morality. Through surreal and often dark comedy, Gogol criticizes Russian society after the Napoleonic Wars. He intended to also offer solutions to the problems he satirized, but died before he ever completed the second part of what was intended to be a trilogy. The work famously ends mid-sentence. .No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)891.733Literature Literature of other languages Literature of east Indo-European and Celtic languages Russian and East Slavic languages Russian fiction 1800–1917LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. Penguin AustraliaAn edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia. NYRB Classics2 editions of this book were published by NYRB Classics. Editions: 1590173767, 1590176553 Yale University PressAn edition of this book was published by Yale University Press. Tantor MediaAn edition of this book was published by Tantor Media. Urban RomanticsAn edition of this book was published by Urban Romantics. |
I’m far from the first to think Vol. 2 is a big drop off - that’s general consensus it seems. Besides the fact that this part of the book seems only partially finished (so much so that my edition included more than a dozen footnotes denoting blank spaces in the manuscript or errors in continuity) it also loses the gleeful cynicism that makes Vol. 1 so funny and relatable, as people haven’t changed much in the intervening couple of centuries. Wikipedia tells me Gogol was a conservative, although like all the best satires, the political perspective of the creator isn’t important when it’s done right. Vol. 2 it’s easier to see where he was coming from, when Chichikov gets his comeuppance for all his slimy wheeling and dealing. Apparently Dead Souls was meant to be a kind of Divine Comedy, with Chichikov making his way from a good for nothing shister to a pious example of Russian morality. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not so interested in this transformation, nor do I think writing this kind of story is where Gogol’s talent lies. There are a few scenes where the inspiration of Vol. 1 shines through, but not enough to save it from dragging. ( )