The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol

not truly collected tales in the strict sense, but rather a selection. Gogol is storytelling at its best. preposterous, otherworldly, and outrageous. his darkness will leave you entrailed and wanting for more. classic Russian literature finest gem. enjoy

Strange after all these years I had never read Gogol. I did because I was enjoying Bulgakov and learned he thought highly of Gogol. With very good reason, as it turned out. This book has most of his short stories, divided between the earlier Ukrainian stories and the later St Petersburg stories. Gogol's chief claim to international and enduring fame is his facility with the language of imaginary reality - or, better, with the stream of sub-consciousness (not Unconsciousness.) that underlies the individual's "sense" of the world and meaning. In this sense he was way ahead of his time in so clearly expressing the idea that individuals have an interior life, which, if it can be captured in text will also enrich the reader's sense of "what is happening" in any scene or story. Familiar to us post modern readers, but strikingly novel when these were written. - There is a clear difference in tone and subject matter between the earlier and later stories. - The imagery is freer and more sub conscious in the earlier stories. My first sense was that there is a strong homo-erotic element to the imagery - mustaches, noses and other descriptors that appear within the imagery... The later stories appear more surreal from the writer's point of view. Whereas the "sureality" belongs more to the subjects in the earlier stories. Among these last stories is The Coat" - even if you know the story, the telling of it is intensely effective. The Petersburg tails begin with Nevsky prospect, which reminds me of later German writing in it ability to capture an extraordinary sense of place. Uniquely and unforgettably in this case. These stories are so rich and deep it seems wrong to cut proscribe them with particular plot descriptions. From my perspective and this first experience with Gogol I can only say that these are accessible, extraordinarily rich (readable many times) and well enough translated not to feel there is a lot missing. (Which can happen with Russian translations) Highly recommended for readers who enjoy tails with many layers. And an author with a justly deserved international reputation as one of Russia's greats.

I've only read most of the Ukraine tales so far but I love these stories and Gogol's wit, wild imagination and his beautiful descriptions of nature seemed to be overlooked in the praise of his work. Whilst I studied world literature for several years I don't understand Russian and honestly don't feel I need to. If a translator can bring a writer's voice to your ear as though you are hearing it for the first time but feel like you've known it for a long time, that's all I need. Having said that, I love Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky and are eternally thankful to them for bringing the Russian classics into my reading world.

Gogol was a natural storyteller. Unpredictable plots, wild imagination and a gorgeous style. Four stars only because of the unavoidable recurrent antisemitism.

I was referred to Gogol by a friend in Ukraina. I am so thankful for that. I began downloading free short stories, but really wanted to feel the book in my hands. It actually made a difference for me. Reading the .pdf versions gave me a detached feeling. Holding the book made me feel a part of the narrative. Gogol has a distinct way of drawing you into his words. I am still unable to choose a favorite. Much like asking my favorite Poe story or poem, I am equally unable to choose a Gogol favorite. I truly loved every story in the volume. It is a shame Gogol is not required reading in high school; he is easily on par with any other early Victorian writer. He is so good that even his included unfinished story completely entwines the reader. A literary gem - truly.

Great adventure, a book you can't put down. You will learn a lot about life in European Russia after the Napoleonic Wars

The reborn Everyman's Library is so uniquely head and shoulders above every other publishing venture available today that it seems ungrateful to append even a small caution about this newest title in the series. Especially so as the fresh translation really is a miraculous breakthrough--a huge improvement over previous efforts. What then is the problem? Simply that this is NOT a "collected" tales in the common understanding of that term, but a "selected" one. Not a great problem unless one is seeking a particular omitted piece, but it does raise some question about at least one link in the editorial chain--a failure of oversight that has marred certain series titles irretrievably and that is uncomfortably disrespectful to the quality of the project overall.

If you enjoy reading Kafka, Vonnegut, and Swift, then add Gogol to your reading list. He is a master of satire. He presents such extraordinary circumstances in such an ordinary manner that one is led into the most preposterous situations almost without realizing it. I would go so far as to call this book a must read for anyone interested in writing.