Nikolai Gogol's Dead Souls

Well, when the internet starts working in my apartment properly I will post a picture of the cover of this 1842 Russian novel I just finished: Dead Souls, by Nikolai Gogol. . . alright, there.

The story is not as morbid as the title may lead one to believe. It is about a man, Chichikov, who is travelling across the Russian countryside trying to convince a variety of landowners to sell him their 'dead souls.' Serfdom was common practice in Russia until they were emancipated in 1861. The Russian equivalent of the word 'souls' was commonly used to designate serfs that were tied to the land. It's like, "Hey, how many souls does so-and-so have on his farm?" Chichikov's idea, an illegal one, is to attempt to buy up the serfs that have died within the past year who have not been taken off the census list. He hopes to buy them cheaply, really buying nothing but the written deed, and to mortgage them for a profit. Smart guy.

Really the focus of the novel is the variety of Russian landholders that Chichikov meets as he tries to carry out this plan, each one seems to personify a different vice. You have the lazy one, the cheat, the greedy one, the glutton, and so on; it is a satire on many different types of folk.

It's worth the read, about 400 pages. It's a classic in Russia. Gogol influenced many later writers, Dostoevsky especially. His style is enjoyable, different from your normal straight forward storytelling. It feels loose and lively. If you aren't interested in reading something so lengthy, I would recommend reading a few of Gogol's short stories. Some of the best known are: Diary of a Madman, The Nose, and The Overcoat. These are quite entertaining and can be read easily in one sitting. In The Nose, a man wakes one morning to discover a human nose in a loaf of bread. Why? He doesn't know. Another man suddenly discovers his own nose is missing. Why? Not sure. A talking nose appears at one point and explains it all. Ghosts, witches, a talking nose, all make for a fun ride/read. If you only have time for one though, check out The Overcoat. I won't give too much away, but it's well worth your time. A poor guy wants a new overcoat. Coats are important in Russia. Something happens to him. It's only thirty pages. You must have time for that. Read it, let me know what you think.