Hailed by Nabokov as "the greatest artist that Russia has yet produced," Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) left his mark as a playwright, novelist, and writer of short stories. Gogol's works remain popular with both writers and readers, who prize his originality, imaginative gifts, and sheer exuberance.
This collection offers an excellent introduction to the author's works. Opening a door to his bizarre world of broad comedy, fantasy, and social commentary,...

A lowly government clerk, Akay Akakiyevich, must scrimp and save to purchase a new coat for the cold, Russian winter in "The Overcoat." But after one night of basking in the warmth of his new coat and the respect of his colleagues, Akaky's one-of-a-kind overcoat is stolen from him. In his pursuit of justice, Akaky receives no help and is consumed by the loss of his prized possession. In "The Viy" Gogol recounts a popular folk story in which a monstrous...

Centering on the picaresque realism of Nikolai Gogol's (1809–1852) mid-nineteenth-century visions of the extraordinary in everyday life, this collection mines the ambiance and mind of pre-Revolutionary Russia. These seven stories take us from the Miracle Mile of St. Petersburg's Nevsky Prospekt, and a summer night in a Ukrainian village, to the fantastical psychological geographies of fathers, sons, and madmen. Augmenting Gogol's visions are two...

Translated by Constance Garnett Notes and Introductions by David Rampton, Department of English, University of Ottawa Gogol's works constitute one of Russian literature's supreme achievements, yet the nature of their brilliant originality, comic genius, and complex workings is difficult to summarize precisely. The Government Inspector, a perennial favourite on stage and screen, is considered a national institution in Russia, and Gogol's stories present...

Gogol's stories are admired for their skillful mingling of fantasy and reality, quiet good humor and use of mundane details--as Gogol put it--"to extract the extraordinary from the ordinary." Imaginative and timeless, they remain as fresh and significant today as they were to readers generations ago. This rich selection of four short stories by the great 19th-century Russian author of Dead Souls includes "The Nose," a savage satire of incompetent...

A true horror classic of Ukrainian literature, Nikolai Gogol's "Terrible Revenge" raises the notions of terror, betrayal, and revenge to an entirely new level.

Diary of a Madman is one of Gogol's greatest stories. The tale follows the life of a minor civil servant during the repressive era of Nicholas I. Following the format of a diary, the story shows the descent of the protagonist, Poprishchin, into insanity. Diary of a Madman, the only one of Gogol's works written in first person, follows diary-entry format. This Sovereign Classic edition also includes the following other tales: The Mantle, The Nose,...

An original selection of short fiction by Nikolai Gogol, “the Russian Dickens,” translated by the great Constance Garnett and curated by Natasha Randall, that captures the genius of one of the most daring, inventive writers of the nineteenth century. A wounded solider vanishes into notoriety. A nose is found in a loaf of bread. Places—like the Nevesky Prospect—are not what they seem. Nikolai Gogol was one of the nineteenth century’s...

"The Overcoat" follows the life of Akaky Akakievich, a low-ranking civil servant, who leads a mundane existence. When he decides to invest in a new overcoat, his life takes an unexpected turn. The story delves into themes of social inequality, bureaucracy

"The Nose" by Nikolai Gogol is a satirical short story that follows Collegiate Assessor Kovalyov, who wakes up one day to discover that his nose has inexplicably vanished. Even more bizarrely, he encounters his nose in the form of a higher-ranking officia