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This digital document is an article from Russian Life, published by Russian Information Services, Inc. on March 1, 2009. The length of the article is 618 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Making sense of Gogol.(from the editor)(Nikolai Gogol)
Author: Paul E. Richardson
Publication: Russian Life (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2009
Publisher: Russian Information Services, Inc.
Volume: 52Issue: 2Page: 4(1)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

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In addition to examining the aesthetic representation of evil in Nikolai Gogol's Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka, this book explores the traditions of speculation into the devil found in Orthodox theology, medieval Russian literature, and East Slavic folklore.The author considers the evolution of Gogol's demonic idiom, as well as the numerous ways in which the shape of Gogol's devil develops according to the theological, literary, and folkloric models of evil.Offering a fresh and apt context for reading Gogol's Dikanka tales, this study also provides the first English-language overview of the devil in medieval Russian literature. ... Read more

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A wickedly funny retelling of a classic satire, featuring hilarious illustrations, tells how a nose leaves its owner so it can go off pretending to be a city official ... Read more

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The nineteenth-century author Nikolai Gogol occupies a key place in the Russian cultural pantheon as an ardent champion of Russian nationalism. Indeed, he created the nation's most famous literary icon: Russia as a rushing carriage, full of elemental energy and limitless potential.

In a pathbreaking book, Edyta Bojanowska topples the foundations of this russocentric myth of the Ukrainian-born writer, a myth that has also dominated his Western image. She reveals Gogol's creative engagement with Ukrainian nationalism and calls attention to the subversive irony and ambiguity in his writings on Russian themes. While in early writings Gogol endowed Ukraine with cultural wholeness and a heroic past, his Russia appears bleak and fractured. Russian readers resented this unflattering contrast and called upon him to produce a brighter vision of Russia. Gogol struggled to satisfy their demands but ultimately failed.

In exploring Gogol's fluctuating nationalist commitments, this book traces the connections and tensions between the Russian and Ukrainian nationalist paradigms in his work, and situates both in the larger imperial context. In addition to radically new interpretations of Gogol's texts, Edyta Bojanowska offers a comprehensive analysis of his reception by contemporaries.

Brilliantly conceived and masterfully argued, Edyta Bojanowskafundamentally changes our understanding of this beloved author and his place in Russian literature.

Customer Reviews (1)

Long Anticipated--A must-read scholarly study that should be in all libraries and part of school curriculums!
In 1844, at a gathering of Russian high society, a topic arose wherein Gogol was accused of an excessive devotion to Ukraine and an apparent lack of love for Russia.This prompted Aleksandra Osipovna Smirnova, in her correspondence with her close friend, Nikolai Gogol, to ask him whether in his soul he was a Russian or a Ukrainian.It took Gogol two months to pen a response.Gogol, a Ukrainian, became a great Russian writer--this anomaly resulted in studies over the decades. Edyta M. Bojanowska, Ph.D., Harvard University, offers her analyses of this nineteenth-century writer from a new perspective, giving convincing arguments and reflecting critical thought in the process.

If you wish to quench your thirst in the search for an answer to the eonian question of Nikolai Gogol's nationalism--you may have come to the well of satiation. The author's insightful study moves beyond parameters previously paved. She skillfully stitches threads of history, excerpts from Gogol's writings, reviews of his works, and quotes to produce a quilt of thought-provoking evidence for your consideration. Dr. Bojanowska's writing style is interesting, informative, extremely well researched, and engrossing, as she outlines how journalistic reviews "gently orchestrated an editorial about-face and slowly started treating Gogol as a Russian rather than as a Ukrainian writer."

In her extensive well-written, well-documented study, Professor Edyta M. Bojanowska presents an extremely valuable exploration into how Gogol's ethnic background (a Ukrainian born in the Poltava district of Ukraine) and the history of Russia and Ukraine intertwined and influenced Gogol in his writings. His pro-Ukrainian sympathies are well known--his works are examined with a critical eye and scrutiny heretofore not undertaken.

Nikolai Gogol: Between Ukrainian and Russian Nationalism is published by Harvard University Press, and is a scholarly study on a much-discussed, timely topic. Professor Bojanowska, teaches (is a Lecturer on Slavic Languages and Literatures) at Harvard University, where she was a Junior Fellow at the Society of Fellows. Dr. Bojanowska treats the topic with objectivity (including opinions of not only the conservative press, but also of the liberal intelligentsia) while, at the same time, imparting vast amounts of information that pique the reader's interest in this scholarly discourse. Her "focus on Gogol's engagement with nationalism restructures Gogol's creative biography and yields new interpretative insights into nearly all of his works." A definite five-stars-plus rating is merited!

Addendum: Readers, you're invited to visit each of my reviews--most of them have photos that I took in Ukraine (over 600)--you'll learn lots about Ukraine and Ukrainians. The image gallery shows smaller photos, which are out of sequence. The preferable way is to see each review through my profile page since photos that are germane to that particular book/VHS/DVD are posted there with notes and are in sequential order.

To visit my reviews: click on my pseudonym, Mandrivnyk, to get to my profile page; click on the tab called review; scroll to the bottom of the section, and click on see all reviews; click on each title, and on the left-hand side, click on see all images. The thumbnail images at the top of the page show whether photos have notes; roll your mouse over the image to find notes posted.

Also, you're invited to visit my Listmania lists, which have materials sorted by subject matter. ... Read more

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Presents a tripartite thesis - that the Orthodox religion (though not Russian Orthodox) functions as a sub-text throughout Gogol's work; that Gogol works were of a moralist vein; and that Gogol's "torch" was passed not to Russian Orthodox writers, but to Jewish writers of Yiddish tales. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Not quite timeless, but worth an hour or two
this play is not really laugh out loud material, but one can easily see how such absurd and dramtically ironic situations have worked their way into modern film/literature/plays.

the comedy is sort of 19th century slapstick, which doesnt really entertain and delight...but what i found so priceless about this play was the universally shallow character of the cast....especially considering they are nearly all government officials.the very people who are supposed to selflessly "protect and serve" the people, are revealed as self-serving idiots who are only concerned with protecting themselves.

i could see this making an excellent play with the right actors.

A clever little parody
The contemporary American reader can almost visualize this one as a Jim Carrey movie: a case of mistaken identity causes red carpets to be rolled out for a character whom the narrator calls a "flunkie."Theexpected hilarity of course ensues, with every petty government officialseeking to impress the person they think is the Inspector General.Yes, wehave seen this plot many times before, even before Gogol's time, but Gogoldoes it especially well.Perhaps this is sociopolitical satire, perhapsit's just humor, and perhaps it's a little of both.In any case, you don'thave to be interested in Russian literature nor in politics to find thisshort piece hilarious.

Great play, lots of fun.
This was a fun play to read.I highly recommend it to anyone, especially if you're into Russian literature.Enjoy!

Grade-A Gogol
This play is Gogol's most famous, and deservedly so. G portrays a small town's corruption and downfall very amusingly; the story is less memorable than Gogol's manner of telling it and his detached observations of hisgrotesque creations. The story is a farce, with miniature farces set withinit. Anyone who reads it expecting something ponderous with be disappointed;anyone who is simply interested in a fun read need look no further.

A Funny Play!!
I performed this play and i must say that it is wonderful! ... Read more

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Through careful textual readings of Gogol's most famous works, Karlinsky argues that Gogol's homosexual orientation--which Gogol himself could not accept or forgive in himself--may provide the missing key to the riddle of Gogol's personality.

"A brilliant new biography that will long be prized for its illuminating psychological insights into Gogol's actions, its informative readings of his fiction and drama, and its own stylistic grace and vivacity."--Edmund White, Washington Post Book World ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The truth hooted down
When this book first appeared, the New York Review of Books issued a long review in which the whole point of the book was dismissed as some sort of wishful thinking on the part of an author with an agenda.But the evidence is overwhelming that Karlinsky is correct in his opinion, and that Gogol can never be understood except from this standpoint.Imagine a major reviewing organ dismissing "theories" as to somebody like Wilde, Gide, Verlaine, etc., and one can see the magnitude of the absurdity of the dismissive review.

Mistery of Gogol
Since the age of ten when I first read some works by Nikolai Gogol I was mesmerized by the mystery of his obscure and secluded life and tragic end (he burned the second part of his biggest work just several days before hisdeath). At that time I knew nothing about the homosexuality. Karlinsky'sbook is not only an account of the past, a life story of a person who liveda long time ago, it is a story of struggle with the inner self, theunability to accept one's own sexuality 'as is' which played the tragicrole in the fate of that famed Russian writer from a small Ukrainianvillage. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Volume 2 of "The Complete Tales of Nikolai Gogol"
While the first volume of The Complete Tales of Nikolai Gogol contained the more obscure short stories that look like B grade material, this second volume contains some of the more well-known stories. As usual, these short stories convey a large percentage of Gogol's literary genius. The writing is witty & the dialogue is pretty clever. The first half is a collection of short stories called Mirgorod, which is considered to be a continuation of his own Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka (from the first volume). "Old-World Landowners" is a satire on old age and new age, while "Taras Bulba," Gogol's longest short story, is a tale of an old Cossack and his two sons joining the Ukrainian forces to battle against Poland. "The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich" tells of two men whose growing friendship is severely tested. The second half features four of the most famous short stories ever written by Gogol: "The Nose," "The Overcoat," "The Portrait," & "The Coach." "The Nose" has become one of my favorite works from Gogol for its surreal humor.

I can easily recommend The Complete Tales of Nikolai Gogol to anyone who is interested in Gogol's works, and anyone who is interested in Russian literature in general. ... Read more

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Nikolai Gogol’s short story is a sublime work of tragi–comedy. In it, he brilliantly ridicules the Ukrainian passion for litigation and reveals life as something really rather absurd.

Ivan Ivanovich and Ivan Nikiforovich are the greatest of friends—until the day they begin a foolish quarrel that culminates in that very worst of insults: “And you, Ivan Ivanovich, are a goose.” From that moment on, not another word is spoken between them as they choose instead to fight out their differences in the courts. But it seems theirs is a lawsuit that is set to run for years and years…With a Foreword by Patrick McCabe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Superior Translation
I'm kinda picky about my Gogol. The recent translations by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol (Vintage Classics)) are lumpy and wooden to my ear.

These translation more than hit the mark; they capture Gogol's good-natured and sunny prose style. These translations are all the more effective when Gogol zings you at the end of a story; as the introduction notes, Nabokov observes that the comic is separated from the cosmic by a mere syllabant.

The only down side is that these aren't even Gogol's best (or most famous) three stories. I hope this translator continues working on Gogol.

The introduction -- which discusses Gogol's 1980s career in Hollywood writing sci-fi scripts for Roger Corman (!) -- is a must-read! ... Read more

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This clear print title is set in Tiresias 13pt font for easy reading ... Read more