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tatevg 's review for:
Dead Souls
by Nikolai Gogol
I AM DONE! I DID IT! I had such a hard time reading this book. It sucked all the energy out of me, and I had to force myself into reading it. I understand the social criticism that Gogol tried to put forth, but the plot was simply too flat, and the characters were too predictable. I was too bothered by Chichikov's behavior trying to convince the prince to let him go. The whiny Chichikov was even more disgusting than the scoundrel (and I get this stereotype was what Gogol wanted to show his readers). I also did not like how Gogol would often refer to the reader; it made the novel seem more pretentious and essay-like. What enraged me is the quote on Quixote, and how he compares Quixote to the "bad Russian type." I know Quixote was not fully understood and appreciated in Russia due to poor translations, but to compare Quixote with Chichikov is absurd for nowadays readers.