Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Growing up, I always read WELL above my expected reading level. I devour books. I can get through anything. Except this one.
I have never in my life not been able to finish a book until I encountered Dead Souls. I love Russian literature and I heard wonderful things about this book, but honestly, I have tried to get through it three times now and have been so beyond bored to death, it's like I could actually feel MY soul dying (ha, ha). I'm so sorry to everyone who has loved this book for insulting it, but honestly, props to anyone who could possibly get through this snooze fest.
Maybe I'll try reading it again in a few years. This book is my Everest.
I have never in my life not been able to finish a book until I encountered Dead Souls. I love Russian literature and I heard wonderful things about this book, but honestly, I have tried to get through it three times now and have been so beyond bored to death, it's like I could actually feel MY soul dying (ha, ha). I'm so sorry to everyone who has loved this book for insulting it, but honestly, props to anyone who could possibly get through this snooze fest.
Maybe I'll try reading it again in a few years. This book is my Everest.
This book contains too many eating scenes, don't read it while hungry. Its a pity we'll never read the complete trilogy, personally I really enjoyed drafts of the second book.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
DNF
Part love letter to Russia, part biting social commentary, this was a comic ride through the Russian countryside as Chichikov tries to pull through his somewhat morbid get-rich-quick scheme. It felt as if it lost something in translation though.
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really enjoyed the first part. Did not enjoy missing so much text in the second part.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The first time i read this was probably 1998 and then again somehwere in the aughts
2014: Re-read of a newer translation. Still one of my favorites, top ten all time just in terms of altering my understanding of what writing can be like. I still prefer the runyonesque guerney translation from the 1930s. This P&V feels much more sedate, less joyous, less puckish.
2018: Re-re-re-read: i cant keep track of which edition/translation this page marks but i'm here to talk about the bernard guilbert guerney translation, edited by suzanne russo. re-read it this december because there are conditions of the soul which can only be addressed by vaguely psychedelic early 19th century picaresque fiction. i dipped into a bunch of different translations and i really cannot stress 1) i speak like a grand total of 8 words of russian so have zero grounds for judgment apart from the english ear-feel of the translations 2) the guerney translation is SO MUCH BETTER than the P&V. the P&V feels like fussy antique fidgeting. guerney feels like finding out your great great great grandparents were secretly weird.
2014: Re-read of a newer translation. Still one of my favorites, top ten all time just in terms of altering my understanding of what writing can be like. I still prefer the runyonesque guerney translation from the 1930s. This P&V feels much more sedate, less joyous, less puckish.
2018: Re-re-re-read: i cant keep track of which edition/translation this page marks but i'm here to talk about the bernard guilbert guerney translation, edited by suzanne russo. re-read it this december because there are conditions of the soul which can only be addressed by vaguely psychedelic early 19th century picaresque fiction. i dipped into a bunch of different translations and i really cannot stress 1) i speak like a grand total of 8 words of russian so have zero grounds for judgment apart from the english ear-feel of the translations 2) the guerney translation is SO MUCH BETTER than the P&V. the P&V feels like fussy antique fidgeting. guerney feels like finding out your great great great grandparents were secretly weird.