Customer Reviews

Gogol: Diary of a Madman (Russian Texts)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Nikolai Gogol had an extraordinarily important influence on Russian literature. A contemporary and friend of Pushkin, he left his mark in several areas, as playwright, novelist and short-story writer. Every Russian writer to come after him acknowledges and reveres Gogol, from Dostoevsky to Bulgakov and on. This collection is a great introduction to Gogol. All of his most famous stories are included. "Diary of a Madman" shows us the disintegrating psyche of a minor civil servant during the era of the repressive rule of Nicholas I. Gogol had problems with Nicholas' censors (who were as vigilant as Stalin's) and he didn't exactly ingratiate himself with this depiction of bureaucratic malaise. The second short-story in the volume, "The Nose," again pokes fun at officialdom, but also takes us on a proto-magical-realism ride through mid-eighteenth century St. Petersburg (As an aside, you can currently take St. Petersburg tours of Gogol's fictional landscape, just as you can Dostoevsky's, [and Bulgakov's Moscow]). The third entry in the collection, "The Overcoat," deals again with an inconsequential bureaucrat (guess what Gogol's background was?) , whose entire existence is wrapped around a new overcoat. Suffice it to say that the story does not end happily for poor Akaky Akakievich. This is in some ways Gogol's signature piece. The story basically involves us in a humorous, at times capricious narrative, but the humor is infused with a great deal of pathos, to the point where we can almost call these tragicomedies.

The longest story in the collection, "How Ivan Ivanovich quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich," is a case-in-point. On the surface, it is a humorous account of two provincial boobs engaged in protracted enmity as a result of an inconsequential incident. However, at heart, Gogol is saying a great deal about Russian society, and the human condition, at the same time, and the picture is neither pretty nor funny. This is his most successful short story in many respects, imbued with wisdom and local color. Gogol is the most human and humane of Russian authors, but that does not mean that he is anywhere near the greatest, as a result. It would be left to the giants, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, to truly establish Russia as a birthplace of great writers. But it is to this warmth of spirit that the Russian people and its literati have responded to so fervently for so many years. Gogol, of course, is well represented as a novelist for Dead Souls (or Chichikov's Journeys). He also attempted a Russian epic (Taras Bulba). For most modern readers, however, the stories are the most accessible and the most universally revered as regards his literary output. Give this volume a chance, and if you like the stories, turn your attention to Dead Souls, which is indeed worth reading.

I only became familiar with Gogol through references in the work of Philip Roth. After all, great writers should give their due to their predecessors. Five of Gogol's most celebrated short stories are included in this collection. While I can only classify myself as a fan of three of these stories, this collection is still worth purchasing.

"The Diary of a Madman" harkens Kafka-esque images of man versus isolation and the bureaucracy in the story of one man's sometimes humorous spiral into madness. Scorned in love and work, the main character retreats into an alternate reality. "The Nose", the story of a runaway body part, possesses elements of Kafka's "Metamorphisis". A fiction that borders on absurdity can still be frightening. It brings to mind that the superficial image one presents in society is too important. "The Overcoat", having themes of superficiality and prized possessions, is a peculiar tale. Taunted by his co-workers for the condition of his overcoat, the main character makes many sacrifices to replace his coat. To a point, the new overcoat becomes more of an obsession than it should.

While "The Carriage" and "Taras Bulba" are also included in the set, I do not believe they carry the same feeling as the other stories. To a degree, "Taras Bubla" almost seemed out of place in the set. The collection of short stories is enjoyable and highly recommended to lovers of literature. It brings the thought to mind of what other works of literature were hidden from American eyes by communism.

The short stories in this collection were very like those of Kafka, with the disorienting magical realism and the undercurrent of despair, although Gogol is the more blackly humourous of the two writers. Andrew MacAndrew's translation is a bit peculiar, however; for the Diary of a Madman, he mysteriously altered the structure of the vignettes (there is one less section than in other versions) and removed the name of the narrator. There are also a few irregularities in his version of The Nose. Work by other translators may be more reliable.

Beware of translated works that don't mention the name of the translator.

That should have been my first clue. I'm not sure who did the translating of this collection, but he obviously does not have a thorough knowledge/appreciation of Russian humour and literature. I can say this because I'm from Russia and after reading the original version of Diary of a Madman (I didn't bother further with the others) and comparing it to this one, I was disappointed by how lengthy and confusing the passages were. The language was tripping over itself, rather than flowing with the Gogolian humour and absurdity. It was boring and difficult to follow and had none of the finesse that, for instance, Pevear and Volokhonsky's version was able to capture. Most surprising is that entire sentences were missing from certain passages. It seems that whenever there was a phrase the translator couldn't make sense of or see how it fit into the scheme of things, he just omitted it entirely!!! This is really offensive to the writer and unfair to the readers.
For goodness sake, he didn't even get the name of the dog right!! It's "Medji," not "Meggy"---just because this sound doesn't exist quite the same in the English language, doesn't mean you can rename the dog! (Unless it isn't read "Meggy" like "Peggy" but most English readers will read it this way anyway)
But the dog isn't the most important part. It's really the fact that the translator did not do Gogol justice. He did not treat this work with the dignity and reverence it deserves and as a result, has put out a shoddy interpretation of a classic tale.
I gave two stars because I did notice some attempts to capture the complexity of dry wit, as is often the style of satirical Russian authors. It is indeed very difficult to do this with English. Whoever this translator was, they made a solid effort; unfortunately, he just couldn't carry it. And the publisher should be more selective with the quality of work it puts its stamp on.

I translated the title story and two others in this collection for my students because none of the existing translations did Gogol justice--they ignored his sound play and sometimes simply altered or even eliminated things that didn't make sense. Gogol's stories are weird and hilarious--I tried to preserve the elements of language that make them brilliant.

i last read this play back in 1970 after seeing an amazing performance of it by english actor - peter prouse back in south africa. his depiction of the character was without comparison, as i have yet to witness an actor achieve what he did on stage - where many of the dinner guests pushed their food away from them and fled the scene; so powerful was his performance. i have always wanted to produce and act in my own interpretation of this work and may well do so now that i've finally found the book - again on amazon.com

I have read 3 translations of this story and I like them all for different reasons. The story is very readable and has interesting interpretations on several levels. All the friends I recommended the story to loved it.

i must confess that I have always been more than a little disturbed by the cover of this book. The stories featured in this book by Gogol deal with the desperate lives of the St Petersburg bureaucrats, Gogol was one and these are his people! The best story is "The Diary of a Madman" and this deals with the adventures of one of these low grade civil servants who finds his plans and dreams continually frustrated. As a way out he gradually becomes convinced that he is destined for "bigger and better things" (I will not reveal more here, but will leave this to those who will discover just what this is by reading the story). In his delusion, Gogol uses the technique of dislocation to describe the further adventures of his hapless hero and rarely is it used with greater comic effect. Tolstoy was a master of this literary device,particularly when he wanted to satirize something of which he disapproved, but Gogol perfected it. If one wants to see the beginnings of a rich tradition of humor in Russian literature, one cannot do any better than this book. I still dislike the cover and believe that the editors of Penguin may be turning away more business than they generate by the rather off-putting artwork.

This book was a great, quick read. Highly recommended if you are a fan of classic literature and / or short stories.

Gogol has the uncanny ability to write deep, beautiful and simultaneously hilarious stories. "Diary of a Madman and Other Stories" is a great example of Gogol's style of writing to anyone interested in a premier in Gogol's literary style.

Caution: don't read this book at night when everyone is asleep; you'll wake them up as you laugh outloud!