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spikespiegel's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
greyemk's review
4.0
The Overcoat was my favorite story, I’ll be thinking about it for a while.
I see why Gogol is regarded as a master. I would appreciate this a lot more with more context of the milieu of the times - I can tell this is funny, but the particular satire is lost on me.
I see why Gogol is regarded as a master. I would appreciate this a lot more with more context of the milieu of the times - I can tell this is funny, but the particular satire is lost on me.
jasonfurman's review
5.0
This book only strengthens my view that the Pushkin Press's "Essential Stories" series is, well, essential. The volumes are beautiful, relatively short (~200 pages), outstanding new translations by some of the best translators working today, and well selected selections. I previously reviewed [a:Anton Chekhov|5031025|Anton Chekhov|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1317162641p2/5031025.jpg]'s [b:The Beauties: Essential Stories|36356809|The Beauties Essential Stories (Pushkin Collection)|Anton Chekhov|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507187513l/36356809._SX50_.jpg|14927568], [a:Franz Kafka|5223|Franz Kafka|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1569196898p2/5223.jpg]'s [b:The Unhappiness of Being a Single Man: Essential Stories|41807452|The Unhappiness of Being a Single Man Essential Stories|Franz Kafka|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1536682904l/41807452._SX50_.jpg|65231392], and [a:Leo Tolstoy|128382|Leo Tolstoy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1558279485p2/128382.jpg]'s [b:Lives and Deaths|51830647|Lives and Deaths|Leo Tolstoy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568976998l/51830647._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73454877]. This one has five of Gogol's best stories. His three Petersburg choices were obvious ("The Nose", "The Overcoat", and "Diary of a Madman") but the other two were a little less known and set in the provinces ("Old-world Landowners" and "The Carriage"). A great place to start on Gogol but every one of his stories is excellent (except "Taras Bulba," which is arguably a novella) so would not stop here.
isaac_salle's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
purplelorikeet's review
4.0
Russian literature did not feature at all in my education, be it secondary or tertiary. It wasn't much on my radar either. I definitely had an awareness for some of those fat novels written by some of the greats. I must admit I was well into adulthood before Gogol hit my radar and despite having a paperback of his stories on a bookshelf for many years, it was this book that finally motivated me to finally read his work.
I thought short stories would surely be easier than one of those long novels but I was mistaken. It definitely wasn't an easy read for me. Perhaps this was not helped much by the first story, "The Nose" about a man whose nose suddenly disappears to lead a life of its own. It's totally satire but the absurdity of it all was hard to get past while reading.
The stories get easier from there with "Diary of a Madman" about a man who seems to be at a loss as to his place in the world. It gets a bit nonsensical at times, which isn't surprising considering its title. My favorite was "The Overcoat" about a man who has had his overcoat patched to the maximum and is faced with having to have a new one made. I also quite liked "Old World Landowners" about a couple who own a large property. The last story is called "The Carriage and is about another landowner who has need of a fine carriage. This one has an odd twist to end it but I won't say I liked it to a great degree.
The first three stories are all set in St. Petersburg and center around civil servants and their woes. The last two are set in the Ukraine and center around landowners and their own situations. It's a limited but relatively diverse selection of stories and I consider it a good introduction to a writer known for his short stories.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Pushkin Press for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
I rate this 4 stars.
I thought short stories would surely be easier than one of those long novels but I was mistaken. It definitely wasn't an easy read for me. Perhaps this was not helped much by the first story, "The Nose" about a man whose nose suddenly disappears to lead a life of its own. It's totally satire but the absurdity of it all was hard to get past while reading.
The stories get easier from there with "Diary of a Madman" about a man who seems to be at a loss as to his place in the world. It gets a bit nonsensical at times, which isn't surprising considering its title. My favorite was "The Overcoat" about a man who has had his overcoat patched to the maximum and is faced with having to have a new one made. I also quite liked "Old World Landowners" about a couple who own a large property. The last story is called "The Carriage and is about another landowner who has need of a fine carriage. This one has an odd twist to end it but I won't say I liked it to a great degree.
The first three stories are all set in St. Petersburg and center around civil servants and their woes. The last two are set in the Ukraine and center around landowners and their own situations. It's a limited but relatively diverse selection of stories and I consider it a good introduction to a writer known for his short stories.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Pushkin Press for sharing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
I rate this 4 stars.
aceface's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
charlottejones952's review
3.0
*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book collects three of Gogol’s most celebrated novellas and three of his short stories. Although I enjoyed this collection to a certain extent, the two that I had already previously read, ‘The Nose’ and ‘The Overcoat’, were by far my favourite of the stories included. These two were the most engaging as well as the most unexplained which is something that I think Gogol particularly excelled at.
If you are looking to read more translated literature or have never tried Gogol, this is a great place to start. I’ll definitely be reading more Gogol in the future but I vastly prefer his slightly fantastical works over the more realistic.
3 out of 5 stars!
This book collects three of Gogol’s most celebrated novellas and three of his short stories. Although I enjoyed this collection to a certain extent, the two that I had already previously read, ‘The Nose’ and ‘The Overcoat’, were by far my favourite of the stories included. These two were the most engaging as well as the most unexplained which is something that I think Gogol particularly excelled at.
If you are looking to read more translated literature or have never tried Gogol, this is a great place to start. I’ll definitely be reading more Gogol in the future but I vastly prefer his slightly fantastical works over the more realistic.
3 out of 5 stars!
chewdigestbooks's review
5.0
If you haven't read Gogol, this is an absurdly good primer. If you have, there are shorts here that you haven't read.
dreesreads's review
4.0
This is my first time reading Gogol (finally!).
Stories included: The Nose; Diary of a Madman; The Overcoat; Old-World Landowners; The Carriage
I have heard that The Nose does not feel like a nearly-200-year-old story (1836), and I have to agree. It is absurd, and I really don't know if even Poe was writing anything quite so absurd. Diary of a Madman and The Overcoat are also urban stories--both focus on the lives of small-time workers in government positions. I believe these are new translations, so the English is modern in usage.
Old-World Landowners and The Carriage both focus on rural areas, and again both are really about the varying statuses within Russian culture. Landowners, serfs, Generals, small-time officers, etc.
I think Old-World Landowners was my favorite here. It illustrates the richness of the land while also showing the incompetence of the landowners, the theft of the employees, and the rough lives of the serfs (though they are well fed).
The Nose is a little too absurd for me, but it is supposed to be satire--is it really about the government position the man the nose belongs in being left behind by an important ally? His inability to do his job without his right-hand man (or, his nose) there to support him? About each position actually being a group who gets things done and..sniffs things out? I don't know enough about Russian government of the time to give an educated guess.
Stories included: The Nose; Diary of a Madman; The Overcoat; Old-World Landowners; The Carriage
I have heard that The Nose does not feel like a nearly-200-year-old story (1836), and I have to agree. It is absurd, and I really don't know if even Poe was writing anything quite so absurd. Diary of a Madman and The Overcoat are also urban stories--both focus on the lives of small-time workers in government positions. I believe these are new translations, so the English is modern in usage.
Old-World Landowners and The Carriage both focus on rural areas, and again both are really about the varying statuses within Russian culture. Landowners, serfs, Generals, small-time officers, etc.
I think Old-World Landowners was my favorite here. It illustrates the richness of the land while also showing the incompetence of the landowners, the theft of the employees, and the rough lives of the serfs (though they are well fed).
The Nose is a little too absurd for me, but it is supposed to be satire--is it really about the government position the man the nose belongs in being left behind by an important ally? His inability to do his job without his right-hand man (or, his nose) there to support him? About each position actually being a group who gets things done and..sniffs things out? I don't know enough about Russian government of the time to give an educated guess.