iseutbm 's review for:

Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol

4.0

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"Dead Souls" is the story of a man trying to buy officially alive but actually dead serfs in order to pass himself off as a rich landowner, and the consequences to which his quest leads. It is a commentary on the culture and politics of the Russian Empire, as well as on humanity in general. In general, it's a pretty pessimistic view of human nature. How many of us are officially alive but actually dead? Does ignorance know no bounds? Do comic misunderstandings lead to tragedy on a daily basis? What is the destiny of this vast and complicated Russian land? It's a powerful book, and more importantly, expertly written with grotesque humor.