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Summary: Timeless and hilarious
Review: Nobody captured black hearted greed better than N. Gogol in this book. The characters and the events resonate just as strongly in 21st century America. Remarkably fast read for a 19th century novel, and in light of the current corporate scandals, this is a good time to read this book. I read Dead Souls about 5 months ago and I still find myself going back to it in my mind and laughing. It would make a great movie.
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Summary: One of the World's Funniest Novels
Review: First of all, Guerney's is the only translation worth getting.It was hailed as the finest in 1942. It is still the finest in 2002. (Kudos to Yale University Press for printing it.) Second, if you love the madcap humor of The Brothers Karamazov, in particular the lunacy of the father Fyodor Pavlovich, you will love Dead Souls. Dead Souls. Doesn't sound like a barrel of laughs does it? Doesn't sound a comic masterpiece, does it? It is. 11 chapters full of cheats, liers, swindlers, fawners, rogues, sycophants, and above all (or below all) -- human beings.
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Summary: The first Russian Novel
Review: Dead Souls is Gogol's first and only full length novel, ironically written in Rome rather than the Russian countryside it was set in. Tragically he destroyed most of the second volume shortly before his death leaving only bits and pieces of chapters leaving only volume I whole. A story of a swindler and a social satire on life in early 19th century Russia, Dead Souls is also a comment on class and hypocricsy. Small town Russian officials and landowners strive to keep up appearances, valuing them more importantly than susbtance. Even Chichikov knows this, in fact as the main character (anti-hero) he thrives on this. Gogol's story is comic on its surface but reading it you get a glimpse of life just twenty years before Alexander II freeded the serfs from their landowners. Dead Souls is both comedy and satire. One note the Peaver-Volokhonsky translation while newer is a bit "choppy" and the translators make the most awkward word selections from Russian to English. It makes reading this version a bit off-putting at times (The Guerney translation was the favorite of many Russian expat's). Dead Souls is worth the read.
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Summary: Wonderful
Review: This is my grandpa's Bible. He is Russian and claims that only other like-minded Russians could ever compute the pitter patter of Mother Russia's beating drum that resonates throughout the beautifully spun pages of Dead Souls. I started reading it myself and am totally blown away so far. I can't really comment on it further as I am opposed to analyzing great art.
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Summary: The best over-200 page novel in the history of literature
Review: Nikolai Gogol has a very creative mind as well as a unique style of writing. While reading Dead Souls, one is more likely to view the world from Gogol's point of view than his own. His writing contradicts everything Americans think they know about Russian literature. This book is a discussion of a world whose values are radically flexible. Though the concept can be frightening to those who do not take time to ask questions about their lives, Gogol has used crazy comic genius to exhibit an honest and impartial view on what is known today as "The Human Race." His book shows that humans' actions are motivated by greed and that the idea of money does not have any real significance because the value of everything that is sold is created by the human who is selling it. Gogol has also written the book in such a way that every single sentence is a universe of its own. Dead Souls takes place in the Russia of the late 1800s, where, unlike in America, one must be born into a prosperous family in order to have opportunities. The main character, Chichikov, is clever enough to develop a scheme in which he can rise from being a petty clerk to a respected landowner. In order to do this, Chichikov moves into a new town, pretending to already be a landowner, and begins a quest to buy the names of dead serfs who have not yet been officially reported dead. Each person that Chichkov presents this offer to has a different reaction, starting with the shy and introverted Manilov. Though he does not understand Chichikov's need for the names of these dead serfs, Manilov is a character that is so desperate for company that it does not take any effort to trick him into selling his dead souls cheaply. However, as Chichikov continues his journey, he starts to deal with more clever landowners who become suspicious of his scheme. Chichikov finds that the townsmen known as Sobakevich and Nozdrev are much harder to negotiate with. This is because they are more and attempt to trick Chichikov even though in truth, Chichikov is the one who is playing the trick on them. Nozdrev agrees to sell Chichikov his serfs under the condition that he can sell him something else along with the serfs, such as a horse or a pair of hunting dogs. Chichikov, of course, refuses the offer because he owns no land and has nowhere to keep any horses or dogs. Because of this, Nozdrev curses Chichikov and orders two of his guards to beat him up. However, by sheer luck, the police show up at that exact time to arrest Nozdrev because of crimes he committed in the past. Seeing this, Chichikov runs away and immediately sets off to visit Sobakevich. In his encounter with Sobakevich, Chichikov offers him less than one hundredth of what Sobakevich claims is the rightful price. However, the reason for Sobakevich's logic is that he claims the serfs have just as much value now that they are dead as they did when they were alive. In the end, however, Chichikov's stubbornness surmounts Sobakevich's absurd logic and Chichikov ends up buying the souls for the price he offered. Unfortunately, as they say, "there is no such thing as a perfect crime." In the end of Dead Souls, Chichikov is stabbed in the back by the people he does business with, and does not get away with his ingenious plan. The main thing that Gogol is proving in his novel is that the entire human race is very similar to Chichikov; their interest lies in money and in prosperity. So if human beings are constantly trying to outsmart each other, a perfect society will never be obtained.
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Summary: Russia's best
Review: I need to say that I did't read English translation - I was reading the original. But those of you who do not know Russian, should read the translation - it is funny, dark and weird a little bit. What nice characters! Once you read you will never forget Chichikov, Karobochka, Pliushkin and others. My brother has read it seven times and it tells tha value of this "poema". Just wonderful...
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Summary: excellent, witty and entertaining
Review: This is an amazingly entertaining novel-- and a classic of world literature.
Chichikov, a likable anti-hero, is buying up the deads to dead serfs so that he can use them as security on a large mortgage from the state. On the surface, this cunning, modern plot is entertaining. But what really is amazing is the characterization and narrative style-- it not only strikes chords in gread works in the Modernist school... it has features that are definitely post-modern. Without this book, it is likely that Kurt Vonnegut or Joseph Heller or any of the great satirists of our time would have had to break the ground that Gogol broke.
Read this book!!!
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Summary: Another fine translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky
Review: Pevear and Volokhonsky have done it again. Another fine translation of a Russian classic. The art of the Russian novel begins with "Dead Souls," although Gogol himself likened this great work to a poema. Upon its first release, "Dead Souls" immediately won a place in the Russian heart. Chichikov and the various characters that he came in contact with in this strange journey became Russian archetypes. Unfortunately, Gogol could never bring Chichikov's adventures to a close, but this novel does not suffer for it. What makes the P&V translation stand out are the numerous reference notes, so that one can understand the many allusions that Gogol makes. P&V have masterfully rendered Gogol's protean metaphors and delightful similes, so that one can sense the poetic nature in which this novel has been written. The "demonic" plot is most intriguing but what really carries this story are the many wonderful characters that Gogol has artfully rendered, each trying to figure out why Chichikov is so interested in buying their "dead souls," deceased serfs that are still on the census and therefore subject to taxes.
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Summary: An epic 'poem', crumbling before our very eyes¿
Review: Or, the agony and the ecstasy; the writer's pain and its only succor... An acquaintance once commented to me that, though he possessed virtually no creative drive, he didn't envy my own abilities whatsoever: having observed the glorious highs and exhausted lows I went through, all inspired by the febrile imagination, he concluded that a balanced approach to life was far more preferable. I was reminded of this exchange while reading the introduction to Nikolai Gogol's unfinished masterpiece, _Dead Souls_ . Apparently Gogol was blessed/plagued with an enormous amount of creative ambition: he wanted no less than to express the flaws in the Russian character, show how they could be rectified, and in turn 'save' his country from its social/economic quagmire. But though he possessed the vision - or at least glimpses of it - the task of expressing it adequately with the quill seemed far too difficult for the poor man. The mind's eye filled Gogol with glory and divination; it also destroyed him with self-doubt, restlessness, and inner condemnation. Any writer worth his salt (i.e. 'sensitive') will recognize these contrasting traits; will feel and intimately know the sting of art, its agony and its ecstasy. Alas, Gogol succumbed to the pressure, burning the drafts for _Dead Souls_ second book and never even starting the third concluding volume, and a few days after the conflagration Gogol passed away, probably unable to endure the destruction of his life's work. What remains - the completed first book and fragments of the second - can be contained in a single volume, and for those interested in Russian history and Russian Literature, _Dead Souls_ is a must. The first book contains much promise and is a delight to read. I do not speak Russian and thus cannot comment on the translation, but David Magarshack, a Russian native and famous for renditions of Dostoyevsky, writes with a clear mastery of the language. The tone is, for the most part, conversational: although there is a vast amount of description and author-asides, the writing never becomes tedious or indulgent. Gogol's savage sense of humor and his piercing character critiques certainly help, as does a healthy dose of self-depreciation. Although on the surface the first book concerns Chichikov purchasing 'dead souls' in order to gain an estate and title recognition, the emphasis is on the various landowners and commoners Chichikov meets in his travels. Gogol's contempt for the extravagant waste of the ruling class is obvious, as is his concern for the eventual effect it would have on his country. He modeled _Dead Souls_ on Dante's Divine Comedy, the first part being Chichikov's devious efforts to join these dissipated landowners, the second his success and subsequent fall from grace, and the third his retribution before the eyes of God, (presumably) finding happiness in simplicity. The beginning and fragmented end of the second book gives the reader a few hints into how Gogol planned to erect his masterpiece. A socialist attitude is introduced with the farmer-ideal of Kostanjoglo; Platon depicts the boredom of the born-wealthy. Unfortunately, the quality of material is not up to par with the first book, due to a lack of an editing polish and several chopped out sections. The 'final chapter' resembles more a synopsis of events and theme-development, and is an interesting viewpoint of the writer in mid-craft. The whole arc of the second book can be conjectured from what happens in this last chapter, so, despite its lecturing tone and poor development, it is certainly worth a read. Powerful, well written, challenging and at times flat out hilarious, _Dead Souls_ is rightly regarded among the pinnacle of Russian Literature. Less than Five Stars would do it an injustice.
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Summary: Utterly wonderful.
Review: This is not just a great story. This is not a dreary academic work your professor makes you read, afterwards exclaiming "Ah, but can you see ze PASSION! ze GENIUS!" This is the pinnacle of Russian literature, of the Russian language. Gogol intended this to be a ground-shattering, lasting epic in the style of Dante, with three books detailing Chichikov's evil, repentance and salvation, but we only have the first and bits of the second; Gogol was a very angst-ridden man, plagued with doubts about his self-worth, and a manipulative priest he knew convinced him to burn the second part and never start the third. So as a result, we're only left with the first part, a vicious, biting attack on the stagnation and hopelessness of Russian rural life. Gogol makes it come to life - the stupidity of the landowners, their utter dullness and incompetence, their avarice and worthlessness. It's amazing - but it should probably be read in Russian, as Russian is not something you can easily translate to English. Chichikov's crafty convoluted, Devilish scheme (Gogol intended to make him a sort of modern manifestation of the Devil) quickly becomes just a vehicle to take him around the country and meet all of these intellectually bankrupt scumbags who would have been really funny if they weren't drawn directly, 100% from real life. The book is given force by its _relevance_ to Russia and its truthfulness. It will amaze you - you will be appalled by the fact that such utter ignorant nonentities of the rural aristocracy still had land, power, and were considered owners of human beings. Social commentary never got better than this. Pushkin may have been an utter genius of literature all around, but Gogol can truly be called the father of Russian literature. Dostoyevsky, in fact, once said just that. This book is a work of unadulterated genius. In fact, it _is_ Russia in that time - it so perfectly captures the problems of the times. And yet, Gogol clearly loves his country despite hating the things that went on in it - just look at some of the beautiful, poetic passages when Chichikov is riding across the steppe. It's a beautiful, wintry story that has lost none of its appeal or relevance.
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