Nikolai Gogol

Chichikov, a mysterious stranger, arrives in a provincial town and visits a succession of landowners to make each a strange offer. He proposes to buy the names of dead serfs still registered on the census, saving their owners from paying taxes on them, and to use these 'souls' as collateral to re-invent himself as a gentleman. In this ebullient masterpiece, Gogol created a grotesque gallery of human types, from the bear-like Sobakevich to the insubstantial fool Manilov, and, above all, the devilish con man Chichikov. Dead Souls, Russia's first major novel, is one of the most unusual works of nineteenth-century fiction and a devastating satire on social hypocrisy. In his introduction to this new translation, Robert A. Maguire discusses Gogol's life and literary career, his depiction of Russian society, and the language and narrative techniques employed in Dead Souls. This edition also includes a chronology, further reading, appendices, a glossary, map and notes.

Повесть Н. В. Гоголя «Записки сумасшедшего» была опубликована в 1835 г. Внимание молодого писателя к теме безумия было вполне оправдано ее популярностью в литературе первой половины XIX века. Различные варианты интересующей современников темы Гоголь разрабатывал не только в повести с многообещающим названием, но и в других произведениях. Настоящее издание составили повести «Невский проспект», «Нос», «Портрет», «Записки сумасшедшего».

"Нос" – великолепная абсурдистская повесть великого русского сатирика Николая Васильевича Гоголя. Единство тонкого гоголевского юмора и ярких зарисовок тогдашней бытовой жизни делает это шуточное произведение особенным. Николай Васильевич Гоголь - автор наиболее известного романа-повести "Мертвые души", а также величайших произведений русской литературы: повестей "Шинель", "Тарас Бульба", "Вечера на хуторе близ Диканьки", "Нос", "Записки сумасшедшего", "Коляска", "Портрет", "Невский проспект", комедии "Ревизор", "Женитьба" и сборника повестей "Миргород". Жизнь и творчество Гоголя наполнены таинственностью и мистицизмом, благодаря чему он был, есть и будет самым загадочным писателем, гениальным сатириком и непревзойденным драматургом.

'Strangely enough, I mistook it for a gentleman at first. Fortunately I had my spectacles with me so I could see it was really a nose.' With this pair of absurd, comic stories Gogol indulges his imagination and delights readers. Contains 'The Nose' and 'The Carriage'.

Considered the high point of Gogol's writing for the stage and a masterpiece of dramatic satire, The Inspector General skewers the stupidity, greed, and venality of Russian provincial officials. When it is announced that the Inspector General is coming to visit incognito, Anton, the chief of police, hastens to clean up the town before his arrival. Local officials scurry to hide evidence of bribe-taking and other misdeeds, setting the stage for the arrival from St. Petersburg of Ivan, a penurious gambler and rake who is promptly taken by the townspeople to be the dreaded Inspector General. Ivan, and his servant, Osip, soon take advantage of the situation with hilarious results. First performed in 1836, the play transcends regional and national boundaries to offer a biting, highly entertaining glimpse of universal human foibles and failings.

When Pushkin first read some of the stories in this collection, he declared himself "amazed."  "Here is real gaiety," he wrote, "honest, unconstrained, without mincing, without primness. And in places what poetry! . . . I still haven't recovered."More than a century and a half later, Nikolai Gogol's stories continue to delight readers the world over. Now a stunning new translation--from an award-winning team of translators--presents these stories in all their inventive, exuberant glory to English-speaking readers. For the first time, the best of Gogol's short fiction is brought together in a single volume: from the colorful Ukrainian tales that led some critics to call him "the Russian Dickens" to the Petersburg stories, with their black humor and wonderfully demented attitude toward the powers that be. All of Gogol's most memorable creations are here: the minor official who misplaces his nose, the downtrodden clerk whose life is changed by the acquisition of a splendid new overcoat, the wily madman who becomes convinced that a dog can tell him everything he needs to know.These fantastic, comic, utterly Russian characters have dazzled generations of readers and had a profound influence on writers such as Dostoevsky and Nabokov. Now they are brilliantly rendered in the first new translation in twenty-five years--one that is destined to become the definitive edition of Gogol's most important stories. Contains: -St. John's Eve -The Night Before Christmas -The Terrible Vengeance -Ivan Fyodorovich Shponka and His Aunt -Old World Landowners -Viy -The Story of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich -Nevsky Prospect -The Diary of a Madman -The Nose -The Carriage -The Portrait -The Overcoat

Written in 1831, this dark tale relates the adventures of Vakula, the blacksmith, in his fight against the devil, who has stolen the moon above the village of Dikanka and is wreaking havoc on its inhabitants, all to win the love of the most beautiful girl in town. The basis for many film and opera adaptations, and still a story traditionally read aloud to children on Christmas Eve in Ukraine and Russia, The Night Before Christmas is the best holiday tale by the man whom Vladimir Nabokov called 'the greatest writer Russia has yet produced'. Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) was the son of a Ukrainian gentleman farmer. He attended a variety of boarding schools, where he proved an indifferent student but was admired for his theatrical abilities. In 1828 he moved to St. Petersburg and began to publish stories, and by the mid-1830s he had established himself in the literary world and been warmly praised by Pushkin. In 1836, his play The Inspector-General was attacked as immoral, and he left Russia, remaining abroad for most of the next dozen years. During that time he wrote two of his best-known stories, The Nose and The Overcoat and in 1842 he published the first section of his masterpiece Dead Souls. Gogol became increasingly religious as the years passed, and in 1847 he became the disciple of an Orthodox priest who influenced him to burn the second part of Dead Souls and then abandon writing altogether. After undertaking an extreme fast, he died at the age of forty-two.

Escrito por Nikolai Gógol e publicado pela primeira vez em 1842, o conto narra a história de Akaki Akakiévich, que trabalha em um ministério público russo e leva uma vida humilde e cheia de restrições. Com a chegada do rigoroso inverno, Akaki precisa dar um jeito em sua vestimenta surrada, que causa má impressão, mas recebe do alfaiate a triste notícia de que qualquer remendo estragaria ainda mais o seu capote. A busca por esta nova vestimenta cria um clima de obsessão em Akaki.

Revizor je komedija karaktera. Gogolj ju je napisao inspirisan anegdotom koju mu je prepričao prijatelj Aleksandar Sergejevič Puškin. Revizor je dvadeset godina kasnije poslužio kao inspiracija srpskom piscu Branislavu Nušiću za komediju Sumnjivo lice. Jedno od najvećih dela svetskog realizma, Revizor ismeva društveno stanje i ljudske naravi. Tema je uzeta iz društvene stvarnosti Ruske Imperije u prvoj polovini 19. veka. O samom delu, Gogolj je rekao: ''U Revizoru ja sam odlučio da na jednom mestu skupim sve ono što je u Rusiji ružno, a što sam ja tada znao, sve nepravde koje se čine na onim mestima i onim slučajevima gde se pravednost traži od čoveka više od svega, i hteo sam da sve ismejem u jedan mah.''

The Overcoat which is generally acknowledged as the finest of Gogol's memorable Saint Petersburg stories, is a tale of the absurd and misplaced obsessions.

Hailed by Nabokov as "the greatest artist that Russia has yet produced," Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) left his mark as a playwright, novelist, and writer of short stories. Gogol's works remain popular with both writers and readers, who prize his originality, imaginative gifts, and sheer exuberance. This collection offers an excellent introduction to the author's works. Opening a door to his bizarre world of broad comedy, fantasy, and social commentary, the title story portrays a petty official's mental disintegration as he struggles for the attention of the woman he loves. Set during the repressive rule of Nicholas I, it satirizes the bureaucratic excesses of the era. Additional tales include "The Nevski Prospect," a portrayal of the feverish pace of St. Petersburg street life, and "The Portrait," a gripping depiction of a soul's perdition.

Nicolas Gogol (1809-1852) "« Voyons, tourne-toi. Dieu, que tu es drôle ! Qu’est-ce que cette robe de prêtre ? Est-ce que vous êtes tous ainsi fagotés à votre académie ? » Voilà par quelles paroles le vieux Boulba accueillait ses deux fils qui venaient de terminer leurs études au séminaire de Kiew(1), et qui rentraient en ce moment au foyer paternel. Ses fils venaient de descendre de cheval. C’étaient deux robustes jeunes hommes, qui avaient encore le regard en dessous, comme il convient à des séminaristes récemment sortis des bancs de l’école. Leurs visages, pleins de force et de santé, commençaient à se couvrir d’un premier duvet que n’avait jamais fauché le rasoir. L’accueil de leur père les avait fort troublés ; ils restaient immobiles, les yeux fixés à terre. « Attendez, attendez ; laissez que je vous examine bien à mon aise. Dieu ! que vous avez de longues robes ! dit-il en les tournant et retournant en tous sens. Diables de robes ! je crois qu’on n’en a pas encore vu de pareilles dans le monde. Allons, que l’un de vous essaye un peu de courir : je verrai s’il ne se laissera pas tomber le nez par terre, en s’embarrassant dans les plis. – Père, ne te moque pas de nous, dit enfin l’aîné. – Voyez un peu le beau sire ! et pourquoi donc ne me moquerais-je pas de vous ? – Mais, parce que... quoique tu sois mon père, j’en jure Dieu, si tu continues de rire, je te rosserai. – Quoi ! fils de chien, ton père ! dit Tarass Boulba en reculant de quelques pas avec étonnement. " Nicolas Gogol nous fait pénétrer dans le monde belliqueux des Cosaques au XVIIe siècle. Tarass Boulba, guerrier reconnu, part en guerre contre les Polonais, avec ses deux fils, au nom de la foi orthodoxe. Seront-ils à la hauteur ? Une éventuelle défaite ne sera-t-elle pas le déclin de ces fiers Cosaques ?

Five tragicomic tales from the visionary writer heralded by Vladimir Nabokov as “the greatest artist that Russia has yet produced”   A midlevel bureaucrat in the czar’s administration, Poprishchin is hurrying to work when he sees a woman step out of a carriage. Her beauty astounds him, and as she passes by, he hears something impossible: Her dog opens its mouth, and begins to speak. It is Poprishchin’s first step on the road to insanity, a journey that will take him into the depths of hell—and raise him up to the heights of emperors and kings.   “Memoirs of a Madman” is one of Nikolai Gogol’s definitive short works, a satire of the excesses of czarist bureaucracy told with wit, empathy, and his signature blend of the real and surreal. Other highlights in this indispensable volume include the haunting title story and “The Nose,” an absurdist masterpiece.   This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.  

Four -The Old-World Landowners -Taras Bulba -Viy -Ivan Ivanovich and Ivan Nikiforovich

Nikolai Gogol's "The Portrait" is a short story about art. First written in 1835 and then significantly revised in 1842, the work explores a central concern in Romantic aesthetics: the role of the artist and his creation. Through a series of ekphrases, i.e. literary representations of visual art, the narrative of "The Portrait" examines the act of representational painting in all of its constituent parts: the psychological condition of the artist, the manner of painting (or its formal qualities), the possible subjects of representation, and, finally, its impact upon the viewer. (by Eliot Stempf)

Anime morte racconta delle avventure di un piccolo possidente di nome Pavel Ivanovic Cicikov che vaga per la provincia russa in cerca di servi della gleba. Per arricchirsi con le terre nel governatorato di N. ha infatti bisogno di avere, almeno sulla carta, un certo numero di contadini, ed è per questo che escogita il trucco delle "anime morte". Lasciato il suo lavoro da impiegato, si aggira per le campagne rovinate da carestia e colera a comperare a poco prezzo i contadini morti dopo l'ultimo censimento che quindi risultano vivi per le istituzioni e per i quali vengono ancora pagate le tasse. Diventa così proprietario di moltissimi servi, che sono un grosso capitale da ipotecare, grazie alla disponibilità di piccoli e grandi proprietari terrieri o di quei notabili cittadini che incontra sul suo cammino, molti dei quali restano immortalati assieme a lui come indimenticabili figure della letteratura. Questo romanzo, concepito sul modello della Commedia dantesca come un grande poema sulla Russia, ha una prima parte, pubblicata, che mescolando rappresentazione realistica e registro grottesco svela i difetti e i vizi del popolo russo, una seconda, edita in maniera incompleta, che mostra una possibile redenzione, e una terza parte, distrutta da Gogol', che avrebbe dovuto esaltare i valori spirituali, e le doti e le ricchezze morali dei connazionali. Rimane il quadro satirico di una patetica e sonnolenta società, dominata da piccoli impostori, che vive di sotterfugi e inganni. Il capolavoro di Gogol'.

Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (1809-1852), although Russian, was born in the village of Sorochyntsi in the Poltava Oblast province of central Ukraine. He was never accepted by the Russian public as being completely Russian in his thinking and political ideology, and indeed he was not. Gogol's Ukrainian upbringing is most evident in his early works which draw heavily from Ukrainian culture and folk history. His later writing was more subversive, openly satirizing the corruption he saw rampant throughout Russia's empire. Gogol was homosexual. At age seventeen he wrote passionate letters to a friend who, being two years older, had graduated before Gogol, leaving him bereft. Gogol eventually exiled himself from Russia, living in Rome. It was here that he enjoyed at least one mutual love affair with a man, but his lover died within a year of their meeting. Two years later Gogol fell in love with the poet Nikolai Yazykov and penned love letters to him, but his efforts came to nothing. Gogol died in Moscow and was buried at Davilov Monastery. His last words were placed on his tombstone: "And I shall laugh my bitter laugh." When Soviet authorities decided to demolish the monastery in 1931 and transfer Gogol's remains, it was discovered his body had been buried lying face down, leading some to wonder if he had been buried alive.

Diary of a Madman is a farcical short story by Nikolai Gogol.

El aventurero Chichikov, ávido por aumentar su riqueza, recorre varias regiones de Rusia para adquirir ilegalmente un elevado número de almas muertas, es decir, para hacer pasa a su lista de propiedades nombres de siervos muertos, cuya defunción no ha sido constatada todavía por las autoridades oficiales. La novela se nos ofrece como un profundo estudio psicológico de caracteres rusos, de todas las clases sociales, desde el más humilde siervo al más influyente funcionario.

Cada uno de los cuentos aquí reunidos da cuenta de los rasgos de una sociedad lejana y compleja, como lo es Rusia, en diferentes momentos de su historia. Las descripciones de los paisajes helados y áridos te permitirán adrentarte en las entrañas de las ciudades que alguna vez fueron cuna de la modernidad y el poderío económico.

Volume 2 of The Complete Tales includes Gogol's Mirgorod stories—among them that masterpiece of grotesque comedy, "The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich," the wonderfully satiric "Old World Landowners," and the Cossak epic "Taras Bulba." Here also is "The Nose," Gogol's final effort in the realm of the fantastic, as well as "The Coach," "The Portrait" (in its final version), and the most influential of his Petersburg stories, "The Overcoat."

Four works by great 19th-century Russian author - "The Nose," a savage satire of Russia's incompetent bureaucrats; "Old-Fashioned Farmers," a pleasant depiction of an elderly couple living in rustic seclusion; "The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarrelled with Ivan Nikiforovich," one of Gogol's most famous comic stories; and "The Overcoat," widely considered a masterpiece of form.

A new translation of comic tales by one of the leading figures in 19th-century Russian literature Written in the 1830s and early 1840s, these comic stories tackle life behind the cold and elegant façade of the imperial capital from the viewpoints of various characters, such as a collegiate assessor who one day finds that his nose has detached itself from his face and risen the ranks to become a state councillor ("The Nose"), a painter and a lieutenant whose romantic pursuits meet with contrasting degrees of success ("Nevsky Prospect"), and a lowly civil servant whose existence desperately unravels when he loses his prized new coat ("The Overcoat"). Also including "Diary of Madman," these Petersburg Tales paint a critical yet hilarious portrait of a city riddled with pomposity and self-importance, masterfully juxtaposing 19th-century realism with madcap surrealism, and combining absurdist farce with biting satire.

Secondo Dostoevskij «siamo tutti usciti dal cappotto di Gogol’». E non soltanto la successiva straordinaria stagione del romanzo russo: sotto i lembi del cappotto dell’impiegatuccio Akakj Akakievic Bašmackin, faticosamente acquistato a prezzo di enormi sacrifici e umiliazioni e rubato poco dopo, si nasconde anche uno dei capolavori assoluti della narrativa mondiale, e uno dei più commoventi e godibili tra i celeberrimi Racconti di Pietroburgo.Di Nikolaj Gogol’ (1809-1852) nel catalogo dei Grandi Libri Garzanti: Anime morte, L’ispettore generale, I racconti di Pietroburgo, Taras Bul’ba e gli altri racconti di Mirgorod.