I know practically nothing of Gogol but I am assuming after reading Nose that he had kind of a dry humor? I think it comes across here in what some people might consider morbid. I wonder what Russians thought about it at the time? Did they think it was gross or did they laugh hysterically at the portrayal of Russian aristocratic self-importance?
What is important to know is that he was part of elite society, but not at the highest levels. Still, he was better off than 99% in the Russian Empire. He was an extremely successful author, unlike some others. But yes, he liked to use social satire in his writings and that is a common vein through them all. They are poking fun/attacking someone. But supposedly he was a conservative, so who knows.
I also found Kovalyov's name-dropping hilarious. It is funny to look back at the first half of the 19th century and see that people were doing such even then. I guess humans really don;t change much over time. 
If you read ancient Greek literature, they do it there too. Some things never change.
Gogol: The Nose/The Overcoat
- 16/06/2010 02:28:27 PM
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The Nose is... odd.
- 16/06/2010 05:29:51 PM
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I view it as a I view dreams using anachronistic Freudian interpretations.
- 16/06/2010 06:43:12 PM
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Re: I view it as a I view dreams using anachronistic Freudian interpretations.
- 19/06/2010 04:34:27 PM
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I like The Overcoat better.
- 16/06/2010 08:27:38 PM
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The Overcoat, while also fantastical, is easier to understand I think
- 17/06/2010 03:23:11 PM
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Re: The nose
- 17/06/2010 01:03:27 AM
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Gogol's background
- 17/06/2010 03:29:08 PM
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I read The Nose last week and will read The Overcoat tonight. Here is a brief
- 18/06/2010 03:44:32 AM
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Re: I read The Nose last week and will read The Overcoat tonight. Here is a brief
- 18/06/2010 04:12:26 AM
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While the stories are entertaining, they didn't leave me with that much to say.
- 13/07/2010 01:52:10 AM
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I keep trying to think of something to add to this discussion and I can't.
- 18/06/2010 02:39:34 PM
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