Dead Souls. By Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol FULL Audiobook
Dead Souls by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol is a captivating work that straddles the line between epic poem and novel. Set in imperial Russia before the emancipation of the serfs, it serves as an absurdist social satire, exposing the foibles and customs of the Russian nobility.
The protagonist, Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, is an itinerant mid-rank bureaucrat with a desperate desire to amass wealth. His unconventional plan involves purchasing the "dead souls" of deceased serfs from landowners. These souls exist only on paper, having passed away since the last census. Chichikov's scheme revolves around mortgaging these "dead souls" to accumulate riches.
Gogol's intrusive and digressive narrator accompanies us throughout the tale, offering commentary on each character, the text's structure, and Chichikov's suitability as a protagonist. The narrator even delves into metaliterary analysis, discussing the author's choices, fate, and responsibilities.
The work's structure draws inspiration from Dante's Inferno, weaving absurdity into the fabric of Russian society. Gogol masterfully portrays nobles who converse more fluently in French than Russian, daydream instead of managing their estates effectively, and remain blinded by rank and status, oblivious to con artists in their midst. These vivid portraits transform the novel into an instant classic, solidifying Gogol's reputation as a deft and humorous social commentator.
Interestingly, Dead Souls was intended to be a trilogy but remains incomplete. The second part concludes mid-sentence, as Gogol destroyed the original ending before his death in 1852. Despite this, the novel's impact endures, leaving readers pondering the absurdities of human nature and societal norms.
Nikolai Gogol, born in 1809 in present-day Ukraine, hailed from a minor noble family. His fame as a satirist grew with works like Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka (1831) and the play The Government Inspector (1836). Alongside literary giants like Pushkin, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy, Gogol's legacy remains indelible in Russian literature.
In summary, Dead Souls invites readers into a world where the living and the dead intersect, where bureaucracy collides with absurdity, and where Gogol's wit illuminates the human condition. It's a journey through a Russia both familiar and fantastical, where "dead souls" come alive on the pages of this remarkable work .
More: Russian literature, 19th-century, Epic poem in prose
Novel in verse, Chichikov, Provincial life
Poshlost, Self-satisfied inferiority, Moral and spiritual
Middle-class pretentiousness, Fake significance, Philistinism
00:00:00 Part II, Chapter III - Section 2
00:43:23 Part II, Chapter IV - Section 1
01:24:55 Part II, Chapter IV - Section 2
01:58:31 Part II, Chapter IV - Section 3
02:21:00 Part II, Chapter IV - Section 4