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gustnbones's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jenpaul13's review against another edition
3.0
Nikolai Gogol's The Nose and Other Stories, translated by Susanne Fusso, provides readers with short stories that probe the depths of Gogol's imagination, offering tales that combine the profound and the entertaining.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Comprised of nine imaginative stories, the collection moves at varying paces through a variety of broad scenarios that narrow their focus and address similar basic topics surrounding bureaucratic systems and crowds in cities; some of the stories, such as The Nose or Diary of a Madman, were far more interesting and quickly paced than others within these pages. In general, the writing is incredibly descriptive, perhaps overly so at times that drags down the momentum, as it takes time and effort to flesh out the minutely detailed backgrounds of characters, which typically isn't necessary for understanding the overall plot of the stories offered. The stories that incorporated a larger dose of magical realism were immensely more entertaining and I found them to be easier to connect with and read. My favorite of the bunch, by far, was the titular The Nose as it offered an absurd premise and effortlessly maintained my interest throughout. I was frustrated by the use of end notes as my personal preference is for footnotes, especially for asides that provide greater context for a concept presented - I'm far less likely to flip to the end (particularly in a digital file) than I am to look at the bottom of a page.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Comprised of nine imaginative stories, the collection moves at varying paces through a variety of broad scenarios that narrow their focus and address similar basic topics surrounding bureaucratic systems and crowds in cities; some of the stories, such as The Nose or Diary of a Madman, were far more interesting and quickly paced than others within these pages. In general, the writing is incredibly descriptive, perhaps overly so at times that drags down the momentum, as it takes time and effort to flesh out the minutely detailed backgrounds of characters, which typically isn't necessary for understanding the overall plot of the stories offered. The stories that incorporated a larger dose of magical realism were immensely more entertaining and I found them to be easier to connect with and read. My favorite of the bunch, by far, was the titular The Nose as it offered an absurd premise and effortlessly maintained my interest throughout. I was frustrated by the use of end notes as my personal preference is for footnotes, especially for asides that provide greater context for a concept presented - I'm far less likely to flip to the end (particularly in a digital file) than I am to look at the bottom of a page.
nataliaoliver10's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
maryjf23's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gajeam's review against another edition
5.0
Five stars for the translation itself. Fusso loves Gogol for being goofy and magical, and that comes through in her writing.
In every Gogol story, civil servants are selfish idiots, military officers are selfish idiots, and rural folk are kind idiots. Gogol loves St. Petersburg. He hates fussiness. Gogol loves demons. He hates horniness. When the supernatural happens, only the main character asks questions. By mixing and matching the same few themes across his oeuvre, Gogol transports the reader to the same 19th century Russian X-Files universe in every story.
Except for the “The Lost Letter”. That one sucks. Why did you make it first Fusso!? Seriously!
In every Gogol story, civil servants are selfish idiots, military officers are selfish idiots, and rural folk are kind idiots. Gogol loves St. Petersburg. He hates fussiness. Gogol loves demons. He hates horniness. When the supernatural happens, only the main character asks questions. By mixing and matching the same few themes across his oeuvre, Gogol transports the reader to the same 19th century Russian X-Files universe in every story.
Except for the “The Lost Letter”. That one sucks. Why did you make it first Fusso!? Seriously!
andrea2428's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lazylarry's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0