Dead Souls (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Darkly Comic Satire of Serfdom, Bureaucracy, and Provincial Ambition in Nineteenth-Century RussiaBy Nikolai Gogol
Length17h 24m
About this audiobook
Nikolai Gogol's Dead Souls is a landmark of Russian prose: a satirical "poem" in novel form that follows the enigmatic Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov as he travels through provincial Russia purchasing the legal rights to deceased serfs still listed on census rolls. Through this grotesque scheme, Gogol exposes the absurdities of bureaucracy, landownership, social ambition, and moral emptiness. Its style blends comic realism, lyrical digression, caricature, and metaphysical unease, placing it between picaresque fiction and the emerging Russian realist tradition. Gogol, born in Ukraine in 1809 and writing within the cultural orbit of imperial Russia, brought to his work a sharp sensitivity to provincial manners, official corruption, and spiritual dislocation. His earlier tales and plays had already established his genius for the fantastic and the satirical, but Dead Souls reflects a more ambitious moral vision: a desire to diagnose Russia's maladies while imagining, however uncertainly, the possibility of renewal. This book is indispensable for readers interested in the foundations of Russian literature, social satire, and the strange comedy of human self-deception. It rewards both first-time readers and scholars with its wit, linguistic richness, and unsettling depth.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.1 (116.1K)
Includes Goodreads, LibraryThing, StoryGraph, Amazon
GenreHumor, Literary Classics
Length17 hrs 24 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateOct 29, 2018
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Dead Souls (Annotated)
13Chapter VII
2Introduction
14Chapter VIII
3Synopsis
15Chapter IX
4Historical Context
16Chapter X
5Author Biography
17Chapter XI
Show all chaptersShow less
6Author’s Preface to the First Portion of this Work
18Part II
7Part I
19Chapter II
8Chapter II
20Chapter III
9Chapter III
21Chapter IV
10Chapter IV
22Analysis
11Chapter V
23Reflection
12Chapter VI
24Memorable Quotes
Die Nase & Der Mantel (Kommentiert)Nikolai Gogol3h 40m4.3 (130)$2 · $0.00
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Meistererzählungen der russischen Literatur (Kommentiert)Nikolai Gogol, Anton Tschechow, Alexander Sergejewitsch Puschkin, Iwan Sergejewitsch Turgenew, Nikolai Leskow, Fjodor M. Dostojewski, Lew Tolstoi, Alexei Konstantinowitsch Tolstoi132h 54m$2 · $0.00
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Petersburger Novellen (Kommentiert)Nikolai Gogol8h 53m4.2 (1.9K)$1.50 · $0.00
Die größten Klassiker der russischen Literatur: Dramen (Kommentiert)Nikolai Gogol, Lew Tolstoi, Anton Tschechow, Maxim Gorki28h 41m$1.50 · $0.00
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