The Diary of a Madman, The Government Inspector, and Selected Stories (Penguin Classics) [Mass Market Paperback]

Nikolai Gogol (Author), Ronald Wilks (Translator), Robert A. Maguire (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: April 25, 2006

This expanded collection of influential Russian satirist Nikolay Gogol’s ingenious pieces now includes his most famous play.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nikolay Gogol (1809–1852) was the author of Dead Souls, widely considered the first great Russian novel.

Ronald Wilks has translated Gorky, Tolstoy, Pushkin, and Chekhov for Penguin Classics.

Robert A. Maguire was a professor of Russian studies at Columbia University.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (April 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140449078
• ISBN-13: 978-0140449075
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.9 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Collection But Short, April 14, 2009

By 

J. E. Robinson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Diary of a Madman, The Government Inspector, and Selected Stories (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

Do you buy this Penguin Classics translation by Ronald Wilks or the Vintage Classics version translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky, currently the best translators of 19th century Russian novels? No contest. The other has 14 stories versus 8 here. Buy the other book if you must buy only one.

I bought both and have no regrets. The present book has two good features: it has a better introduction by Robert Maguire plus it has the play, The Government Inspector. And according to Nabokov, and it is hard to argue with him, that play is the best Russian play ever written. This is a 1972 translation, revised in 2005.

So, it has only 8 stories, but the book does contain an impressive introduction by Maguire, professor from Columbia University, international scholar, now passed away. The present book contains 7 stories translated by Wilks, the introduction by Maguire, plus the play. None of the stories are much over 50 pages and some are shorter. They are good examples of the writings and the literary techniques of Gogol. He is an extremely complex writer and one must read the analysis to appreciate the subtle features and nuances in his writings.

Two stories are from "the Ukrainian Tales" and five from the "Petersburg Tales," and as pointed out by Maguire, that is an editorial division only of Gogol's works, not a division created by Gogol. The former stories from the Ukraine include his use of witches and the devil.

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 by horse and buggy in the early 19th century. In addition, Gogol has approximately 19 well known short stories plus non-fiction writings. He was a friend of Pushkin and he published some of his works in a magazine by Pushkin, The Contemporary. He spent 12 of his last 16 years living in western Europe where he wrote Dead Souls (a must read if you claim to be literate).

Ukrainian Tales.

There are two in his group.
"a world of proud, boastful Cossacks, of black-brown beauties, of witches, devils, magic spells and enchantments..."
The stories are as follows:
Ivan Fyodorovich Sponka and His Aunt, and
The Story of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich.

Petersburg Tales.

These are similar to the stories covered in the Vintage translation and are among his best known works. They are set in Petersburg, and are as follows:
Nevsky Prospect, The Diary of a Madman, The Nose, The Carriage, and The Overcoat.
Also included is the play, The Government Inspector, which is set in a rural area.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A running Nose...., February 23, 2009

By 

Matthew Watters (Vietnam) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Diary of a Madman, The Government Inspector, and Selected Stories (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

"The Nose" -- which tells with an utterly straight face the improbable tale of a man who wakes up one day to find his nose missing, only to then later spot it running around town wearing the uniform of a government official -- is probably the single funniest work of serious literature ever written. When I was at university 20 years ago, a fellow literature student and three of her male admirers (myself counted among them) started a weekly "story night" in which each member of the circle would bring in something to read to the others. I'll always remember the night I brought in "The Nose" and read it aloud, and everyone was rolling with laughter. Gogol has the added distinction of being a major influence on 20th century comedy, including the films of Luis Bunuel and Woody Allen. A must-read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Diary of a Madman is a collection of great short stories by the pen of Russian master Nikolay Gogol, February 12, 2010

By 

C. M Mills "Michael Mills" (Knoxville Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Diary of a Madman, The Government Inspector, and Selected Stories (Penguin Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

Penguin has published a selection of short stories and the play "The Government Inspector" by Nikolay Gogol (1809-52) one of the premiere Russian authors of the nineteenth century and all time.
The collection includes:
Ivan Fyodorvich Shponka and His Aunt-This delightful gem tells the tale of Ivan who is a retired Russian Army officer. He spends his days with his masculine and domineering aunt on a large estate in the Ukraine. Shponka is shy failing to court a fetching beauty on a nearby estate. Gogol is a word artist who is able to paint the scene of a rural Russia where peasants and landowners go about their humdrum lives. The story reminds me of a tale which could have been written by Anton Chekhov.
How Ivan Ivanonich quarrelled with Ivan Nikiforovich-This is the bittersweet, sometimes humorous, tale of two old friends who are estate owners. They quarrel over Ivanonich's eagerness to be given a beautiful rifle owned by Nikiforovich. Their dispute ends up in a law court where a rebellious pig eats court documents! The story is narrated by an invented character. A memorable and excellent piece of short fiction!
Nevsky Prospect-Located in St. Petersburg this tale deals with a man who is a dreamer. It is surreal in parts and is evocative of life in mid nineteenth century St. Petersburg dubbed "The Paris of the North." One of Gogol's greatest short stories;often anthologized.
The Nose-An asburdist tale in which a Nose leaves the face of a minor government official only to return to his face as the story concludes. It is a satire on Russian government and the human desire to win fame and prestige by holding office. A precursor to Kafka in its absurdist and disorienting story.
The Overcoat-The tragic tale of a little clerk who is very poor. He finally saves up his money, purchases a beautiful and warm coat only to have it stolen one frigid St. Petersburg night. His boss is later tormented by the ghost of the thief who purloined the coat. This is one of the best short stories in all of world literature. Vladamir Nabokov is the critic to read on this tale.
The Carriage-This story concerns a landowner who falls asleep in his carriage despite the visit to his estate of several high officials. A humorous tale poking fun at the government.
The Government Inspector is a play in which the mayor and high officials in a small provincial Russian village mistakenly suppose a visiting wastrel is a high governmental official. All of the hypocrisy, greed and self-seeking resident in the human being are on display in this brilliant play.
The Penguin edition contains an excellent introduction to Gogol by Dr. Robert Maguire. Gogol is a delight to read; his insights into humanity are on target. May he and his carriage travel across the vast reaches of Russia forever!