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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
adventurous
funny
reflective
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
To give you a short history, the author had a grand idea of the book he was attempting to write. He called it his poem, in the form of prose. And he genuinely believes in its strength and beauty. All along the first part of the book, you can find the author beaming through the pages proud of his work. So, he finished the first part and published it. Then, started writing the second part of the book. Meanwhile he became friends with a priest who advised him to burn the second book because it read like the work of the devil. So, he burned the second part. And nine days later, he starved himself and died.
So, anyone who is planning to start this book should know that there is no well-rounded closure for this novel. The first part is complete and well-written but the second part is haphazard, very rough and is incomplete. Though fans and critics might call whatever fragments of the second part recovered to form a poignant end in retrospect, it still felt incomplete to me.
All that being said, I did not care much for the plot. The plot was aimed to point out the administrative incompetencies in Russia and how easily corruptible it was, through satire and beautiful prose. And it was a good effort. The author paints a nice picture of a town with characters that can be swayed to do illegal transactions to get more money. And, honestly, that was not surprising or that big a deal to write a whole novel about it and call it a treatise on the human condition. I admire the author. I admire Gogol. But, I have to say, after having just read Crime and Punishment, this did not rock my world as much as Dostoevsky did.
So, anyone who is planning to start this book should know that there is no well-rounded closure for this novel. The first part is complete and well-written but the second part is haphazard, very rough and is incomplete. Though fans and critics might call whatever fragments of the second part recovered to form a poignant end in retrospect, it still felt incomplete to me.
All that being said, I did not care much for the plot. The plot was aimed to point out the administrative incompetencies in Russia and how easily corruptible it was, through satire and beautiful prose. And it was a good effort. The author paints a nice picture of a town with characters that can be swayed to do illegal transactions to get more money. And, honestly, that was not surprising or that big a deal to write a whole novel about it and call it a treatise on the human condition. I admire the author. I admire Gogol. But, I have to say, after having just read Crime and Punishment, this did not rock my world as much as Dostoevsky did.
dark
funny
informative
slow-paced
Rus edebiyatından güzel bir eser. Dönemin devlet düzeninde olan yozlaşmasıni kurgusal olarak ele alıyor.
Stellar cheeky writing, but just lost interest became repetitive
Perhaps due to the title, "Dead Souls" was very different from what I thought it would be. It's not gloomy or ponderous at all, but funny and satirical. It's also written in an engaging style.
It has a lot to say to and about 19th century Russia -- and to human nature in general. Because Gogol never finished it, it ends up being a picaresque novel with hints of things to come. Gogol himself seemed to have changed quite a bit (though he denied it) after writing the part that was published, and it makes me wonder how much his main character would've changed, especially after reading some of the unpublished drafts of his proposed Part Two for "Dead Souls."
It has a lot to say to and about 19th century Russia -- and to human nature in general. Because Gogol never finished it, it ends up being a picaresque novel with hints of things to come. Gogol himself seemed to have changed quite a bit (though he denied it) after writing the part that was published, and it makes me wonder how much his main character would've changed, especially after reading some of the unpublished drafts of his proposed Part Two for "Dead Souls."
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes