Diary of a Madman and Other Stories

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.

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 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.

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.