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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
slow-paced
This book is awful. First of all it’s not complete. Secondly the characters talk too much and there isn’t enough action. Thirdly I think you have to be Russian and living in 1800s to understand it. There was one scene that was funny. But this book was hard to get into and hard to keep my attention.
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol follows Tchitchikov who hatches a brilliant plan to get rich quickly. The entire book is about Tchitchikov traveling through Russia trying to reach his goal. He meets a wide range of people during his travels. Some of the people he meets are virtuous and they try to guide him to the right path. Tchitchikov's major character flaw is that he never understands that hard, honest work is the only way to properly go about life. He ultimately puts his life's energy into an underhanded, dishonest endeavor. One line that sums up Tchitchikov and pretty much the entire book for me was "If only such will and perseverance were devoted to a good object". He essentially loses his own soul due to his failure to follow a straight path through life.
Where I thought this novel was lacking is that Gogol spent so much time in the plot and storyline trying to make his point that it began to wear on me. His writing style did have some bright moments though. He provided some wonderful scenery and descriptions that I did enjoy.
Recommended only if you like 19th century Russian lit like Dostoevsky or Tolstoy.
Happy reading everyone!
Where I thought this novel was lacking is that Gogol spent so much time in the plot and storyline trying to make his point that it began to wear on me. His writing style did have some bright moments though. He provided some wonderful scenery and descriptions that I did enjoy.
Recommended only if you like 19th century Russian lit like Dostoevsky or Tolstoy.
Happy reading everyone!
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
...this ends the manuscript of Dead Souls...say what? This has happened to me before...The Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald and of course one that I knew beforehand Jane Austen but this took me by surprise. Upon checking it out, it was meant to be something on the scope of Dantes Divine Comedy but the end of book 1 the Inferno died mid sentence, the author burned manuscript for book 2 and then he died.
So what did I think of the book "Dead Souls"? It took me a few days to think about it. It was different and sort of odd, even the way the protagonist explained to people that questioned him on why he wanted to buy their dead souls, even down to bargaining if they were getting a good price for them. If the dead could laugh they probably would die laughing. Gogol is quite good at satire and goes into very descripted sentences so I give him kudos for that. All in all it just wasn't my cup of tea.
So what did I think of the book "Dead Souls"? It took me a few days to think about it. It was different and sort of odd, even the way the protagonist explained to people that questioned him on why he wanted to buy their dead souls, even down to bargaining if they were getting a good price for them. If the dead could laugh they probably would die laughing. Gogol is quite good at satire and goes into very descripted sentences so I give him kudos for that. All in all it just wasn't my cup of tea.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In terms of Russian literature, this novel is a disappointment. It has all the groundwork to be a great classic--it's witty, timeless and darkly intriguing--but it falls so very flat.
Namely, the book is incomplete. Entire sections are missing from the manuscript, including the ending portion. By about 2/3 in, you basically lose all hope of understanding the plot or character motivations and have to read only to catch a glimpse of that wit that kept you there at the beginning. The book goes from a 4-star read to 2 (or even 1) stars, fast.
It's difficult to imagine the book's potential if it were complete, but I'm going to assume it would have been a pretty solid classic. I am torn, though, and I wish someone had told me not to read this one. I would gladly have read The Overcoat instead, which I still might do...
Namely, the book is incomplete. Entire sections are missing from the manuscript, including the ending portion. By about 2/3 in, you basically lose all hope of understanding the plot or character motivations and have to read only to catch a glimpse of that wit that kept you there at the beginning. The book goes from a 4-star read to 2 (or even 1) stars, fast.
It's difficult to imagine the book's potential if it were complete, but I'm going to assume it would have been a pretty solid classic. I am torn, though, and I wish someone had told me not to read this one. I would gladly have read The Overcoat instead, which I still might do...
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes