Customer Reviews

Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol

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This collection brings together almost all of Gogol's notable short stories, from his first surviving piece, St. John's Eve, to his last and most acclaimed short piece, The Overcoat. The first seven stories come from Gogol's earlier period (1830-1835) during which he set his tales in the Ukraine, while the last six, written between 1835 and 1842, are all set in Petersburg.

Critics still disagree to some extent over the quality of Gogol's Ukrainian tales and the extent to which they reflect the artistic vision found in his later, most famous pieces. I would acknowledge that there aren't any absolute masterpieces among these stories, but the world he creates through the lot of them, with the constant presence of the supernatural (probably best seen in "The Night Before Christmas" and "Viy") and a charming provincial sense of humor (at its height in "The Story of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich"), is really quite memorable. Also, it's very interesting to see how the simple country folk of the Ukrainian tales evolve into the often equally naive clerks found in the Petersburg tales, and how the demons and ghosts of Gogol's earlier pieces anticipate the haunted portraits and phantoms of departed eternal titular councillors that would later win Gogol lasting fame.

It is, however, the Petersburg tales that are really the centerpiece of the collection. Though it would be a mistake (one that has tempted many a socially-minded critic over the years) to portray these stories as representing a profound sympathy on Gogol's part for plight of the little man, Gogol uses humble copying clerks, struggling artists, and their ilk to paint a wondrously alive picture of the bustling imperial capital. In each of the stories (among which I should mention "Nevsky Prospect" and "The Portrait," neither of which appears in anthologies nearly as often as it should), Gogol infuses the experiences of a seemingly undistinguished individual with something extraordinary, sometimes using the supernatural and other times exploring the protagonist's dreams or his madness. Though Gogol's contemporaries (like Pushkin and Lermontov) were producing a number of excellent works at the same time, those works tended to focus more heavily on the privileged few, and, innovative though they were in various ways, they were written somewhat more in the spirit of the works of foreign authors like Byron and Scott. In Gogol's Petersburg Tales we see Russian masterpieces written for almost the first time in a relatively non-Western European style about the masses who were not lucky enough to belong to the high nobility, and these works (though Gogol surely had no intention of things turning out this way) would go far to influence the social realism developed by later Russian authors.

Gogol's prose is known among Russians for its beautiful lyricism, which sometimes fails to come through in translation. This translation is (unsurprisingly, given how widely praised Pevear and Volokhonsky are) an exception to that; each of the four stories in the volume that I had previously read in other translations improved substantially under the influence of Pevear and Volokhonsky, and throughout the volume I often marvelled at the elegance of the narrative. The one complaint I might have about the collection is the omission of the historical romance Taras Bulba, which is probably the best known of Gogol's Ukrainian tales and is substantively different from any other story he wrote. However, since (at about 120 pages) it might better be described as a novella that a short story, and since the volume is already slightly Ukraine-heavy, it's understandable that Tara Bulba didn't make it in. Other than that issue, I can't think of a single weakness in the collection, and I highly recommend it to anyone with any interest in Russian literature or in the development of the short story as an art form.

This is the kind of writing that makes me questions why movies even exist. The style, the sentences, the humor, the feel is all something unique, unpredictable, and unmistakable. These plots are bizarre, intriguing and it is nearly impossible to guess the endings. All this coming from a translated work is a success for the writer and the translators.

The Overcoat, Diary of a Madman, & the Nose are some examples of Gogol's short story brilliance. These stories are realistic yet surreal, imaginative and impressive. Gogol shows you the roots of what Russian writers continued to excel at later with works like Metamorphosis (Kafka). He calls his stories tales (there are the Ukrainian Tales and the Petersburg Tales), and they most definitely are tales. They are the kind of stories you can tell around the campfire -- they are that unnerving and exhilarating. Yet they are social commentaries as well. These stories work on many levels because they are detailed, feature fantastic characters, and delve into fantasy. All the while you find unexpected twists and occurrences. It's sheer genius.

This book is a fabulous introduction to both Russian literature and the works of this unique genius.

Nikolai Gogol was one of the greatest writers of the golden age of Russian Literature. As friend of the Great Aleksandr Sergeeyivich Pushkin, the Shakespeare of Russian Literature, he helped Pushkin realize his genius and at the same time wrote some of the most famous and entertaining short stories of all the Great Russian writers such as "The Diary of a Madman" (before it was a cliche' kind of expression and well before Ozzy's 1981 classic) which is the story of a disilusioned clerk or something. Gogol always had sympathy for the little guy, who was stuck in a dead end job, and the guy who had no voice like the main character in probably Gogols most famous short story "The Overcoat" which I have just finished reading, and I may say without any sort of hesitation that that lovely little tale will go with me in my treasured memories for the rest of my life (May that life be filled with such lovely literature as that of 19th century Russian!)

This volume, while it doesn't have "Tarsas Bulba" redeems itself with some of the greatest stories ever told.

Nikolai Vasilyivich Gogol
1809-1852

One of Russia's foremost literary genius' humour, poetry and incredible story telling ability is available at last in an accessible translation. The stories are a pure joy to read and the influence of Gogol on writers like Dostoevsky, is ummistakable.

Gogol's Russian is a finely nuanced, very sensitive instrument which must be handled with extreme care. Pevear and Volokhonsky's translation is sensible, careful and free of excess, in a no-nonsense modern English that's a pleasure to read.

As to the stories themselves, the best of them (the Petersburg stories, that is) must rank among the greatest of all works of short fiction. "Diary of a Madman" is one of the most convincing and frightening of all fictional representations of madness, made all the more so by its abundance of comic detail. "The Nose" is a surreal satire which must be read to be believed, and "The Overcoat", with its combination of linguistic dexterity, close character study, and a narrative that veers between the moralistic and the ambiguous, is a concoction unique in literature. I also wish to put in a good word for "Nevsky Prospect", the two-headed tale of the differing fates of a self-satisfied philistine and a romantic dreamer, both of whom succumb to forces of deception.

Realist, anti-realist, surrealist--take you pick, Gogol is any and all of these, and one strand doesn't invalidate any of the others. You can take the Petersburg stories as a swipe at Russian bureaucratic tyranny; or as a study of malign spiritual and psychic forces; or as wacky entertainment. As with any genius, his works suggest multiple points of departure.

Gogol defies classification. For sheer exuberant imagination, he is unmatched. We read these stories with a mixture of amusement and alarm - even if we have read them before and know the outcome. My favorite is "The Nose", but others (including some of the Ukrainian Tales spurned by the cognoscenti) follow close behind.

Gogol makes savage fun of the stilted bureaucracy, the obsession with rank, titles and medals, the pretensions of society in general. He is familiar with the irrational and fantastic that creeps into the fissures of our existence. The misery of the downtrodden clerk is real; but, strangely, the tales do not have the depressing effect usually associated with social criticism. As Nabokov shows us in his analysis of "The Overcoat", Gogol's prose opens trapdoors under our feet with absurd suddenness, and we tumble in. It is a dizzying, unnerving, and at the same time exhilarating experience. (I think, incidentally, that Nabokov took a slice from "Nevsky Prospect" when he wrote "That in Aleppo once...". But then - who hasn't taken a slice out of Gogol?)

The selection and translation of the tales in this edition is, in my opinion, excellent and thoroughly enjoyable.

I'm Russian myself, and I wanted to find a good translation so that my husband could read the stories I was telling him about for himself. Boy, was it disappointing. I guess I thought if the translator had a Russian name, she'd know what she was talking about. I actually had to comment on every passage, so it would make sense to an English-speaking reader while it still preserved the essence of the story. I could probably do it better myself.
As far as Gogol is concerned - these Ukrainian stories stories are magical. Great reading on a December night, when the snow is falling, and you're curled up with a cup of hot tea on a couch, while the rest of the house is dark...

Do you buy this Vintage Classics book or buy the Penguin Classics translation by Ronald Wilks? No contest. The present translation is longer, more stories, good notes, and it is translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky. They are among the best translators of 19th century Russian novels. Buy the present book. I am a literature nut so I bought both. The Penguin Classics has a better introduction plus Gogol's famous play, The Government Inspector. According to Nabokov, it is the best play ever written in Russia.

So, the Penguin Classics version by Wilks has only 8 stories. The present book contains 14 stories translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky, and an introduction by Richard Pevear. None of the stories are much over 50 pages, some are shorter. These are good examples of the writings and the literary techniques of Gogol - a highly complex subject. It is divided into two parts: the Ukrainian Tales and the Petersburg Tales. The former includes his use of witches and the devil. This is one of the best Gogol short story collections on the market today, probably the best. The translators cover most of the stories in the shorter Wilks Penguin version, missing only the play, The Government Inspector.

Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852, Ukraine-Russia) is one the best known Russian writers. His masterpiece is Dead Souls. It is a charming and a highly entertaining novel about a man touring Russian farms in the early 19th century by horse drawn buggy. Gogol wrote approximately 19 short stories plus non-fiction writings. His career was boosted when he published in Pushkin's magazine, The Contemporary. He spent 12 of his last 16 years living in western Europe, including the time when he wrote Dead Souls.

The Ukrainian Tales Section.

There are some gems here, and many of the stories demonstrate the genius of Gogol's writing techniques and creativity. The last story in the group about the quarrelling Ivans is among Gogol's best. Many will like all of them:
"a world of proud, boastful Cossacks, of black-brown beauties, of witches, devils, magic spells and enchantments..."
The stories are as follows:

St. John's Eve, The Night Before Christmas, The Terrible Vengeance, Ivan Fyodorovich Sponka and His Aunt, Old World Landowners, Viy, and The Story of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich.

The Petersburg Tales Section.

These are similar to the stories covered in the Wilks translation in the Penguin Classics, and are among his best known works. They are set in Petersburg, and we see a transformed writer who creates realistic stories of depravity and madness, and transformed himself into the father of "Russian modernism." But he uses dreams here in his realism as he did in the Ukrainian Tales. His work was highly regarded by other writers, including Dostoevsky, who used dreams in his own works.
The selection is as follows:

Nevsky Prospect, The Diary of a Madman, The Nose, The Carriage, The Portrait, and The Overcoat.

A quick note to counterbalance all of the glowing reviews. Of course, everybody has an opinion, and one can't argue with taste as they say, so let me provide - for your consideration - a representative passage from the first few pages of this translation. From the second page of "St. John's Eve": "I remember like now - the old woman, my late mother, was still alive - how on a long winter's evening, when there was a biting frost outside that walled us up solidly behind the narrow window of our cottage, she used to sit by the comb, pulling the long thread out with her hand, rocking the cradle with her foot, and humming a song that I can hear as if it was (sic) now." I don't speak Russian, and maybe this "I remember like now" expression represents a literal translation of some Russian idiom, but it would have made a lot more sense to translate the phrase into something along the lines of "I remember as if it were yesterday" - a corny expression, but one that at least makes sense in English. If this seems like a petty criticism, take into account that that kind of awkward, bizarre phrasing is repeated in just about every other sentence. The translators are fond of corny, archaic words like "mug" (for face) and "drubbing" that seem like they belong in a British translation from the 30s, not something copyrighted in 1998. I just wanted to give a warning to anyone who was actually expecting this to be a "modern" translation, i.e., a translation into something resembling contemporary English. For the record, "Dead Souls" is one of my favorite novels and "Ivan Ivanovich / Ivan Nikiforovich" one of my favorite short stories, so this isn't about disliking Gogol.

This is a comprehensive and well organized collection of stories that does justice to Gogol as a short story writer. Although a few stories have been omitted, most of Gogol's major short stories are here.
There is 'How Ivan Ivanovich quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich', which is one of the most hilarious stories I've ever read. 'Diary of a Madman' and 'Ivan Fiodorovich Shponka and His Aunt' are sure to delight the fans of 'The Overcoat'. Overall, these are the unique gems of comedy, horror, satire, fastasy and more. This compact collection would be the perfect introduction to those who want to get a solid feel for the writings of this inimitable and versatile artist, but may not be ready to commit themselves fully just yet.