Dead Souls

by Nikolai Gogol Narrated by James Harrington

Overview

Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol is a satirical exploration of 19th-century Russian society through the eyes of Pavel Chichikov, a cunning opportunist. Traveling across the countryside, Chichikov buys "dead souls"-deceased serfs still registered on census records-to secure loans and wealth. His scheme exposes the corruption, greed, and absurdities of landowners he encounters. Each character represents a caricature of human folly, from miserly farmers to pompous nobles. As Chichikov's plan unravels, Gogol critiques the moral decay of imperial Russia, blending dark humor with social commentary. The novel remains an unfinished masterpiece, leaving readers pondering the fate of its antihero and the soulless world he inhabits.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Gogol was a strange creature, but then genius is always strange. (Vladimir Nabokov)"

Meriam Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature

Admired not only for its enduring comic portraits but also for its sense of moral purpose.

AudioFile

Considered one of the great novels in the Russian canon, this book is a symbolic snapshot of nineteenth-century Russian life and an intense literary experience…Narrator Tom Weiner has a deep, robust, nasally tinged voice that captures the tone of the book.”

Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature

Considered one of the world’s finest satires, this picaresque work traces the adventures of the social-climbing Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, a dismissed civil servant out to seek his fortune. It is admired not only for its enduring comic portraits but also for its sense of moral purpose.”

Product Details

BN ID:	2940194639526
Publisher:	Interactive Media
Publication date:	02/17/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

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