Dead Souls is a novel by Nikolai Gogol, first published in 1842 and widely regarded as an exemplar of nineteenth-century Russian literature. It chronicles the travels and adventures of Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov and the people he encounters, who typify the Russian middle aristocracy of the time; Gogol himself described it as an epic poem in prose, and intended it as the first part of a three-volume work, but burned the manuscript of the second part shortly before his death. The novel, which ends in mid-sentence yet is regarded by some as complete in its extant form, is a satire of nineteenth-century Russian bureaucracy. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
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Original Language Original Language Composed, From (Year) FAQs
What does the title Dead Souls refer to?
The dead serfs the swindler Chichikov buys, and also the grotesque landowners.
The title points first to the dead serfs at the center of the plot, since the novel follows a confidence man whose scheme involves buying them. Encyclopedia.com adds that the title also evokes the grotesque, puppetlike landowners who populate the novel.
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Source Dead Souls (Wikipedia)
In Genre
Source Dead Souls (Wikipedia)
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Original Language
Also in Language Atlas: the original language of this subject.
Also in Language Atlas: the original language of this subject.
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Source Dead Souls (Wikipedia)tier 2
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1. Dead Souls (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
Dead Souls...is a novel by Nikolai Gogol, first published in 1842.
Lead
is a novel by Nikolai Gogol, first published in 1842, and widely regarded as an exemplar of 19th-century Russian literature.
Lead paragraph
Dead Souls (Russian: Мёртвые души Myórtvyye dúshi, pre-reform spelling: Мертвыя души) is a novel by Nikolai Gogol, first published in 1842, and widely regarded as an exemplar of 19th-century Russian literature. The novel chronicles the travels and adventures of Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov and the people whom he encounters. These people typify the Russian middle aristocracy of the time.
Authored By: Nikolai Gogol, Lead section, authorship
Dead Souls...is a novel by Nikolai Gogol, first published in 1842.
In Genre: The Picaresque Novel, Lead section, genre (picaresque)
Picaresque, political, satire
In Genre: Satire, Lead section, genre (satire)
Picaresque, political, satire
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