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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
challenging
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i liked it-ish… i did NOT like the translation (i read the dj hogarth project gutenberg translation) and felt like it was a bit humorless/dry at times and very poorly paced, but i really was into the story and i liked the ending a lot!
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
mysterious
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
This was a very entertaining read, i have to say i was hooked from the very first pages. Dead Souls is a wonderful absurdist satire of Russian decadence and society by the great (Ukranian) Gogol, whose keen eye and sharp pen draw the most clever criticism of that same society I’ve read so far amongst his contemporary (I seem to remember he was named in my previous read Uncle Vanya and influenced The Double).
The narrator’s voice reminded me of that Thackeray, whom I love, and perfectly framed the sketches of the progressively more bizzarre characters that we encounter throughout the novel. Describing the greed, uselessness, arrogance, even poverty typical of the Russian land owners, he skilfully exposes the rot of the system without being preachy or boring. His masterpiece, however, is our protagonist Chichikov, who starts out as a mystery when he first proposes to buy dead souls, only to be exposed as a fraudster by mid-book. It’s actually funny, but also so sad. Such a great way to expose serfdom for the inhumane thing it was. And also such a perfect anticlimax, to find out that this whole thing is just a get rich quick scheme.
The only thing holding back the book is that it’s a bit monotone, partially due to the fact that it’s unfinished. Not that it’s impossible to guess where things would have ended up, but the whole tour of the Russian province from household to household pretty much goes nowhere, on purpose, but still. Even at the point in which serving justice is discussed, it doesn’t seem to me like Gogol would make a great scene of it and punish his protagonist, his point was just to ridicule him. So yeah, overall this is a good read, quite thought provoking, but while I wouldn’t call it boring at any point, it feels a little repetitive.
funny
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
O noua idee de afaceri pentru familia Becu..
Chiar daca a doua parte are capitole pierdute/taiate,tot nu ar fi salvat cartea pentru mine.Premisa tare interesanta,dar cum a fost scrisa si executata este intr-adevar un produs al timpului
Chiar daca a doua parte are capitole pierdute/taiate,tot nu ar fi salvat cartea pentru mine.Premisa tare interesanta,dar cum a fost scrisa si executata este intr-adevar un produs al timpului
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Una bella lettura scelta al momento sbagliato purtroppo :(
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes