Dead Souls

By: Nikolai Gogol, Constance Garnett - translator

Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton

Gogol's great Russian classic is the Pickwick Papers of Russian literature. It takes a sharp but humorous look at life in all its strata but especially the devious complexities in Russia, with its landowners and serfs. We are introduced to Chichikov, a businessman who, in order to trick the tax authorities, buys up dead 'souls', or serfs, whose names still appear on the government census. Despite being a dealer in phantom crimes and paper ghosts, he is the most beguiling of Gogol's characters. Gogol's obsession with attempting to display 'the untold riches of the Russian soul' eventually led him to madness, religious mania, and death. Dismissed by him as merely 'a pale introduction to the great epic poem which is taking shape in my mind', Dead Souls is the culmination of Gogol's genius. Translator: Constance Garnett.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2017 Naxos AudioBooks

Classics can be entertaining even with dead souls

I enjoyed the book which I find oddly amusing. I was a bit disappointed by the sermon at the end. I can empathize with the author indignation with a corrupt bureocracy but his stand against it, in my opinion, weights down the novel. Mercyfully the moral of the story is at the end and not too long so it is bearable.

funniest and most fun

loved it, every moment was so much pleasure, would highly recommend. Gogol has a perfect imagination

Marvelous

Gogol painted a marvelous picture of rural Russia, post the 1812 invasion. He has mastered satire and leaves the reader wanting

Well done, pacing problems between books I and II

Very well done. The pacing in the middle dragged a bit for me, Chichikov's backstory is great, but there's a lot of impromptu poetry and descriptions of nature that slow things down.

Nostriov is entertaining and Boulton's performance alone to put a big smile on my face.

Absolutely great!

An incredibly funny and endearing book. It is sad though that it will forever remain unfinished.