The Overcoat (Heathen Short)

Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol (1809-1852) was a Russian author and playwright of Ukrainian origin, whose deep influence has been widely recognized in world literature. In 1842, he published the short story "The Overcoat" (sometimes translated as "The Cloak"), which is now seen as "the greatest Russian short story ever written." At its center is Akaky Akakyevitch, a humble copyist whose life is marked by ridicule, invisibility, and quiet endurance. When his threadbare coat disintegrates, Akaky c...