Ronald Wilks Livres

Ten classic short stories by the master Russian author explore the daily lives of peasants and the interrelationships of men and women.

Nikolai Gogol's works showcase a unique blend of comedy, social commentary, and fantasy, influencing later Russian literary giants. This collection features "The Diary of a Madman," which delves into madness, and "The Nose," where a detached nose leads to absurd adventures. "The Carriage" humorously critiques a landowner's pretensions, while "The Overcoat" tells the tragicomic story of a clerk's obsession with status. The novella "Taras Bulba" explores themes of heroism and rebellion through the tale of a legendary Cossack leader.

«Mon Dieu, mon Dieu, pourquoi m'envoyez-vous cette calamité ? (...) Sans nez, un homme n'est plus un homme. (...). Si encore je l'avais perdu en duel, ou à la guerre, ou par ma faute !... Hélas non ! Il a disparu comme cela, sans rime ni raison... Non, reprit-il après quelques instants de silence, c'est inconcevable».

Nikolai Gogol was born in the Ukraine in 1809. Vladimir Nabokov wrote of his work that "after reading Gogol one's eyes may become gogolized, and one is apt to see bits of his world in the most unexpected places." He died in 1852 after subjecting himself to a severe regime of fasting. "The Overcoat" and "The Nose" are two of Gogol's finest works. "The Nose" is a masterpiece of comic art, and "The Overcoat" is considered one of the greatest short stories ever written. Cover painting: Paul Cezanne, Portrait of the Painter Achille Empereur, c. 1869. Musee d'Orsay, Paris. Erich Lessing/Art Resource, N.Y.