Planning to begin with Nikolaj Gogol soon. What book should I start with?
Father Sergius or White Nights
With akaki
His short tales
find a compilation somewhere.
>>7593408
I started with a bunch of his short stories. Just pick one that interests you desu.
>>7593408
Short stories. The Overcoat, The Portrait, The Nose and The Squabble are my personal favourites. I also greatly enjoyed Nevsky Prospect. Short stories is the medium in which Gogol really shines.
If you like his style, you can move on to Dead Souls. Although unfinished, it is a great work - I rank it among my greatest literary experiences.
Ulysses
With the Wikipedia page for Catherine's Russia and some kind of short primer on Russian literature in the eighteenth century before Gogol.
Then chronologically and with shorter works first, while consulting a concise intellectual bibliography so you understand at which points he was deemed to have gone nuts.
Petersburg tales (Overcoat, Nose, Madman's Diary and Nevsky Prospect) are essential.
You could probably start anywhere. I started with Dead Souls and I got it fine. Though I suppose his short stories might be a better place to begin.
>>7593408
Taras Bulba
I read the Revizor and some parts were brilliant
Will soon read the Petersburg tales
>>7593408
Better start with a Collection of his Short Stories and then move on to The Dead Souls. You can skip the Ukrainian Tales if you want and only read them later, they are not really representative of the work he went on to do later on and for which he is famous for.
>>7593555
>Taras Bulba
This any good ?
i dont have the best memory but the Overcoat and the Portrait really stick out as some of the better stories I read last year
>>7593577
yeah It's a bit too long to be considered a story but it is a nice novella if you are interested in ancient war tribes, killing and revenge
>>7593598
Those are some of my favorites.
Dostoevsky thought the best thing gogol wrote was nevsky prospect iirc.
>>7593409
By Tolstoy and Dostoevsky? What a great recommendation that totally answers OP's question.
>>7593408
I'd start with The Overcoat and Diary of a Madman.
>>7593577
it goes from very funny to very, very gory, might depend on translation. would recommend
>>7593674
cant imagine a translation where it doesnt get gory lol
>>7593674
also he hates jews
Has anyone read the comic adaptation of Taras Bulba by Kordey? It's gorgeous.
>>7594215
Pic related
>>7594235
link me a shit of this i wanna read it brah
>>7593408
please please please please please read The Portrait. his greatest story, better than dead souls by far, quite easy and comfy to get into, and fairly short. I've ready most of his work, and i'd say it was his hidden magnum opus.
>>7594256
Do yourself a favor and read both this and The Overcoat
>>7594247
I don't know if it's on the internet. I don't even think it has been translated to English... And it's not finished. It was supposed to have four episodes, but it looks like only the first two were made, in French, Dutch and Croatian... I personally own only the first book.
>>7594288
looks like Classics Illustrated did a version too
>>7594262
Which translation for both?
>>7594362
unfortunately, there's not a great available translation of gogol's Portrait in a physical copy, the only one i can think of is Pevear and Volokhonsky, however, there are many alternative translations in e-form, so i would strongly suggest you look for one that isnt P&V. it's such an incredible story, really far and away his best work, it has all of his religious fervor, all of his mystical darkness and horror, and all of his absurdism, and it is complete and polished unlike Dead Souls.
>>7594475
pretty sure consensus was that portrait was too narrow a scope for a story... wasnt it dosto who said something like "every russian writer comes from Gogol's overcoat"
>>7594478
that may be, however, i feel that the portrait was my favorite story by him. it may not have been inspiring to some, however, it did inspire me to write a short work in the style of russian translations, in a very ironic manner.
>>7594492
can't argue with that brother... I loved the story as well because it had more of the supernatural themes that tend to creep into some of Gogol's stories and really set him apart from other Russian short story writers. I will say Dead Souls is my favorite though!
>>7594475
My book translated by Magarshack has the portrait.
>>7594478
Lieutenant Pirgoov is mentioned in the idiot and crime and punishment iirc
>>7594522
From nevsky avenue
>>7594515
you wouldnt happen to have the isbn for that book would you?
>>7594605
>>7594727
thank you :D
>>7594475
Thinking of buying this from Amazon. Expensive but don't see any other option for physical
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tales-Nikolai-Gogol-Vol/dp/0226300692/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453006425&sr=1-10&keywords=nikolai+gogol
>>7594739
Oops, forgot pic. Amazon review states it has both "The Portrait", "The Overcoat", and "The Nose".
And the translation is by Constance Garnett
>>7594751
garnett is solid, but a cheaper option would be the one posted above, the isbn is 0393003043
i do love me some garnett.
>>7593662
Durrrrrr
>Taras Bulba
>collected stories
>Dead Souls
I started this way.
The Government Inspector is god tier play. Nabokov put it on one level with Hamlet
