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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I think there are very few things that are truly timeless. Humor especially can be so entrenched in time, culture, and that ever so tricky thing called "taste" that it can be so easily lost or miss its mark entirely. However, Gogol's "Dead Souls" is certainly a timeless piece of fiction.
By my own admission, I don't like old books. It's shameful, I know, but the "Classics" are my literary vegetables; I try to down them as often as I know I should, but I often walk away saying "Yes, I suppose I see why this is done but I hope I never have to again." There's something about pre-20th century language and style that immediately wears me down and forcibly rolls my eyes.
But "Dead Souls" is hilarious. It's one of the funniest things I've ever read. Rayfield's translation perhaps is the key; it does not pretend that this book is almost two hundred years old and was written in an almost two-hundred year old syntax and style, and yet it feels fresh and is oh-so readable. The plot itself is almost beside the point; what matters here is the narrative voice. Gogol the narrator can't help but comment on every person, place, or moment, in a way that simultaneously pokes fun of the hypocrisies of not just Russia, but humanity, and is enlightening of the human spirit as a whole. Yeah, this book is just that good.
The only shame is that Gogol didn't finish what he planned. NYRB Classics and Rayfield include portions of the manuscript in book two that were lost, so towards the end there are narrative jumps that unfortunately can't help but lose the rhythm of the prose. It's the most complete translation, but you can't help reading it without feel a little regret that you must truck on with pieces missing.
This is perhaps the second book I've ever read in my admittedly short life that I would force everyone to read if I could.
By my own admission, I don't like old books. It's shameful, I know, but the "Classics" are my literary vegetables; I try to down them as often as I know I should, but I often walk away saying "Yes, I suppose I see why this is done but I hope I never have to again." There's something about pre-20th century language and style that immediately wears me down and forcibly rolls my eyes.
But "Dead Souls" is hilarious. It's one of the funniest things I've ever read. Rayfield's translation perhaps is the key; it does not pretend that this book is almost two hundred years old and was written in an almost two-hundred year old syntax and style, and yet it feels fresh and is oh-so readable. The plot itself is almost beside the point; what matters here is the narrative voice. Gogol the narrator can't help but comment on every person, place, or moment, in a way that simultaneously pokes fun of the hypocrisies of not just Russia, but humanity, and is enlightening of the human spirit as a whole. Yeah, this book is just that good.
The only shame is that Gogol didn't finish what he planned. NYRB Classics and Rayfield include portions of the manuscript in book two that were lost, so towards the end there are narrative jumps that unfortunately can't help but lose the rhythm of the prose. It's the most complete translation, but you can't help reading it without feel a little regret that you must truck on with pieces missing.
This is perhaps the second book I've ever read in my admittedly short life that I would force everyone to read if I could.
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This one felt a bit dated. It would probably have been more interesting if I was more familiar with the historical situations it reflects upon. And although I love Gogol's short stories, I thought his writing style in this book was way too elaborate.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
A hilarious picaresque novel, constantly witty and packed with absurd situational comedy. I'm really sad that this work was never fully realised, it was quite gutting for the book to end mid sentence, but I suppose that shows how much I was enjoying it.
challenging
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
challenging
funny
reflective
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
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dead Souls has its moments, but all in all, it's incredibly tedious. I know that Gogol died while writing it, so that's one excuse. I love Russian classics, but there were times where I literally screamed because it was so interminable. Chichikov isn't even consistently characterized despite the time Gogol spends discussing him and his atributes. The plot just dragged with no reward at all. I don't know if it was my translation, but you would need a pick axe to get to the satire. I wanted to be a dead soul by the end of this.
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