vanjr's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent collection of Gogol. Sadly there was no forward by the beekeeper, which to me was my favorite writing of Gogol-as good as or maybe better than The Overcoat's Akaky Akakievich.
jackievr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jweidenkopf's review against another edition
4.0
I started with some of his later, St. Petersburg stories before going back and reading the Ukrainian ones and really enjoyed them. I thought Viy had a really cool ending. Then I went back to the latter half of the book and read The Portrait and Ivan and Ivan’s Feud and those ended up being two of my favorites as well. I really thought this collection had a better selection of some his best known works than other collections Ives seen so I’m really glad I got this copy.
matryoshochka's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
avinsh10's review against another edition
4.0
**Warning: this text may contain spoilers**
Review of Ukrainian Tales:
A mixture of folklore, horror, drama, and comedies. This is was a very enjoyable read. Gogol is a very entertaining storyteller he seamlessly mixes witty lines with biting satire and profound sadness.
1. St. John's Eve - 3 Stars
This was him stretching folklore storytelling muscles.
2. The Night Before Christmas -5 Stars
One of my favorite stories in this collection. Its style might have influenced Bulgakov to write Master Margarita. The story beautifully blends sarcasm, romance and adventure to create a wonderful Christmas tale.
3. Terrible Vengeance - 4 Stars
A tale of sorcery, Cossack pride and vengeance.
4. Ivan Fyodorovich Shponka and his Aunt -3.5 Stars
Just when you're getting to know the characters enjoy the story, it abruptly ends.
5. Old World Landowners - 4 Stars
Bittersweet drama about the life of a couple living in the countryside of Ukraine. This reminds me of a Telugu movie called "Mithunam".
6. Viy - 5 Stars
Horrifying and enthralling. This is where Gogol orchestrates folkloric themes to capture our imaginations. The emphasis on the journey of the protagonist is what makes this a memorable piece.
7. The Story of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich - 4 Stars
This story lays the foundations for theme that will explored later with "The Overcoat".
Review of St. Petersburg Tales:
The tone remains the same but the subject changes drastically. Gogol here examines the life of city dwellers with both hilarious & heartbreaking stories.
1. The Nevsky Prospekt - 3.5 Stars
Told from a chatty narrator's perspective, it's a tale about how romantic & realistic ideals about women are in vain. Whereas the romantic takes his own life, the realist moves on.
2. The Diary of a Madman- 5 Stars
A slow and creepy descent into madness told in epistolary format. Gogol story also touches upon the absurd race to achieve nobility through official ranks
3. The Nose- 5 Stars
Carrying forward the themes established in the previous story. This hilarious story is about how a man's status in society is at risk when he loses his nose one day
4. The Carriage- 3.5 Stars
The punchline for this story was not as effective as Gogol's better works
5. The Portrait - 5 Stars
This story surprised me. It successfully merges earlier themes of horror & dread with the fame & society pressures. It reminds me of a story from Poe(The Oval Portrait). I wonder if they both influenced each other?
6. The Overcoat - 5 Stars
Poignant and timeless tale about how life in a city doesn't worry about the individual's loss. It's also a tale about bureaucratic nightmare.
Regards,
Vinay
Review of Ukrainian Tales:
A mixture of folklore, horror, drama, and comedies. This is was a very enjoyable read. Gogol is a very entertaining storyteller he seamlessly mixes witty lines with biting satire and profound sadness.
1. St. John's Eve - 3 Stars
This was him stretching folklore storytelling muscles.
2. The Night Before Christmas -5 Stars
One of my favorite stories in this collection. Its style might have influenced Bulgakov to write Master Margarita. The story beautifully blends sarcasm, romance and adventure to create a wonderful Christmas tale.
3. Terrible Vengeance - 4 Stars
A tale of sorcery, Cossack pride and vengeance.
4. Ivan Fyodorovich Shponka and his Aunt -3.5 Stars
Just when you're getting to know the characters enjoy the story, it abruptly ends.
5. Old World Landowners - 4 Stars
Bittersweet drama about the life of a couple living in the countryside of Ukraine. This reminds me of a Telugu movie called "Mithunam".
6. Viy - 5 Stars
Horrifying and enthralling. This is where Gogol orchestrates folkloric themes to capture our imaginations. The emphasis on the journey of the protagonist is what makes this a memorable piece.
7. The Story of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich - 4 Stars
This story lays the foundations for theme that will explored later with "The Overcoat".
Review of St. Petersburg Tales:
The tone remains the same but the subject changes drastically. Gogol here examines the life of city dwellers with both hilarious & heartbreaking stories.
1. The Nevsky Prospekt - 3.5 Stars
Told from a chatty narrator's perspective, it's a tale about how romantic & realistic ideals about women are in vain. Whereas the romantic takes his own life, the realist moves on.
2. The Diary of a Madman- 5 Stars
A slow and creepy descent into madness told in epistolary format. Gogol story also touches upon the absurd race to achieve nobility through official ranks
3. The Nose- 5 Stars
Carrying forward the themes established in the previous story. This hilarious story is about how a man's status in society is at risk when he loses his nose one day
4. The Carriage- 3.5 Stars
The punchline for this story was not as effective as Gogol's better works
5. The Portrait - 5 Stars
This story surprised me. It successfully merges earlier themes of horror & dread with the fame & society pressures. It reminds me of a story from Poe(The Oval Portrait). I wonder if they both influenced each other?
6. The Overcoat - 5 Stars
Poignant and timeless tale about how life in a city doesn't worry about the individual's loss. It's also a tale about bureaucratic nightmare.
Regards,
Vinay
lemonzac's review against another edition
5.0
There is nothing quite like reading Gogol. Moving, strange and wildly creative, he captures what makes the best Russian authors so compelling. Plus the short story Viy is a better Halloween read than anything by Poe.
jimmylorunning's review against another edition
4.0
There's not a bad story in this batch! But I especially loved "Nevsky Prospect" and "The Story of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich". These are long stories, but they are cozy and full-of-life stories that I want to read out loud by a campfire. Nobody alternates between the absurdly comical and the frightfully chilling like Gogol. The first half (Ukrainian Tales) tells more stories that are mystical in nature, sounding sometimes like folktales, dealing with witches and devils. The second half (Petersburg Tales) have some of that as well, but more surreal unexplained occurrences (like "The Nose") and other oddities. Gogol makes hilarious observations about his characters and their hypocrisies. He also inserts his own (or his persona's) storyteller voice in almost every story, wedging himself inside of them (sometimes the narrator's voice adds a whole new dimension to the basic story) would hardly work for any other writer but Gogol is not just any other writer. Ah, but before we go on, we should first acquaint the reader somewhat with this remarkable character, Nikolai Gogol...
kingkong's review against another edition
3.0
I like that there are simple country stories and bustling city stories