Reviews - Dead Souls | The StoryGraph

975 reviews for:

“Why, then, will you not try to walk in the right way, and, by thinking no longer of dead souls, but only of your only living one, regain, with God's help, the better road?”

—

Dostoevsky made me do it, and I have no regrets.

I like that, as the reader, you don’t know if Chichikov is a changed man at the end of the novel (even if it’s probably due to the missing sections of the manuscript). I’d like to think he is, but…

Also, it’s funny how no one in the town could guess Chichikov’s real plan, even though it was quite simple. They came up with many convoluted theories when the answer was right there (!!)

Given how good “Dead Souls” was, I’m definitely open to reading more from Gogol.

rainy_window's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

is_book_loring's review against another edition

3.0

Gogol and this work especially is said to influence many Russian writers of 19th century, among them Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekov which in itself is testament to Gogol's merit. I am recently starting to develop interest in Russian literature, so personally feel glad to read Dead Souls in my attempt to capture traces of the movement of Russian thought in its literature.
Dead Souls in its two parts has completely different tones, a satirical but thoughtful portrayal of the archetypes of Russian gentry in part one- which characteristic reminded me a lot of Chekov's characters (their nearly stereotypes but oddly idiosyncratic people); a serious and desperate moralistic preaching in second part.
Gogol felt to me a very conflicted writer, and too involved in the story of his characters, it read like half writing journal with need for justification and validation all over them, which he actually said out loud in the book. His creative work is compromised even more in part two by his personal conflict.
At times, Dead Souls is compelling, it can be really funny and amusing; and the love and devotion that Nikolai Gogol felt toward Russia is keen and clear.