The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories – Nikolai Gogol

This collection of short stories by Gogol, an early 19th century Russian, is both impressive and entertaining. The tales contain heartwarmingly pathetic, believable characters with qualities still relevant to contemporary society, as well as occasional self-reflexive quips from the author (100 years before Vonnegut’s overuse drove them out of style). The line between reality and absurdity bends, blurs, breaks and returns reshaped within the cruel social structures and tedium of daily life, producing original didactic tales. Gogol employs very few time cues but when he does (such as poking fun at the French and Germans) they provide interesting insight into the historical period. The Diary of a Madman and Other Stories is fun and enlightening; whether you’re looking for an easy distraction or for a heavier, layered journey, you’ll get something worthwhile out of this book.

IMPORTANT!
4 out of 5
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