This book is shit and you know it...

This book is shit and you know it. I guess it was revolutionary at the time it was first published bc its satirical outlook on the Russian middle class or whatever but objectively it's a boring peace of shit book, I can't believe I even put the effort to finish it. And yes, the translation was good. Yes, I have enjoyed other Russian authors before. Yes, I did get the occasional """jokes""" and """comical""" situations. Yes, I do understand the "Russian mentality" (I'm from a Slavic country myself). It is a shitty book just admit it and stop pretending it is a good one just because it's considered a classic.

Any other anons that didn't like this book but are willing to recommend some other work by Gogol? I want to see if it's only this book that is shit or it's all of his work

Its good until the second part.

Read it twice, kicked me every time. I'm russian btw.

Dead Souls is my one of my favorite books. Weird how you can't make an argumebt beyond calling it shit. Is this really the kind of trolling necessary to get a decent Gogol thread going?

Anyway, what I love about Gogol is how he somehow manages to be very realistic and absurdly colorful and cartoonish at the same time.

Can anyone rec something similar to Gogol?

Anyway, make sure you read the Nose and the Overcoat. Those are regarded as his best.

Bely was actually inspired by the spirit of Gogol's books. But he is Joyce-tier by the level of complexity of his prose so he may be not what you are looking for.
Dosto practically mimicked Gogol in his early works (such as The Double).

kek

How hard is Gogol to read in Russian?

i'm everyday proficient in the language, but more complicated works of literature still take a big effort

Ukraine is basicly Russian's Ireland in terms of literature.

Cкaжeм тaк, oн пиcaл нa клaccичecкoм литepaтypнoм языкe нaчaлa-cepeдины XIX вeкa c peдким иcпoльзoвaниeм жapгoнизмoв и диaлeктизмoв. Ho ecли peчь идeт o eгo циклe paccкaзoв "Beчepa нa хyтope близ Дикaньки" тo oни пoкaжyтcя тeбe cлoжными, тaк кaк в них чacтo вcтpeчaютcя yкpaинcкиe cлoвa.

gobbledygook

>peace of shit book
>70 IQ detected
Bulgakov can have that Gogol-ish feeling at times.

If you have trouble reading my post you probably won't be able to read Gogol. That was my point in using russian.

>Weird how you can't make an argumebt beyond calling it shit.
Characters are bland and one-dimensional. I get that the essence of a satirical piece is to make characters seem like some grotesque caricatures but damn, he just does it badly and unconvincingly. The parts where the author refers to himself and calls himself "the author" and calls the characters "the characters of our story" or something similar is just pure cringe. The ending seems to be out of place as well. The occasional "jokes" are something only a four year old might find amusing. There was one interesting part in the whole book (the one where the main character gets accused of cheating in a card-game or whatever game they were playing).
And yet, it's not the boring aspect or the cringy aspect that I am mainly complaining about. I have read plenty of boring books yet they were at least comfy and atmospheric I guess. This book was simply badly executed in all of its aspects and reading it was a huge waste of time

I'm not him just here for the ride

cпacибo, я пoпытaюcь пpoчитaть нeмнoгo paccкaзoв гoгoлa пocлe тoгo кaк я зaкoнчил "cмepть ивaнa ильичa"

this guy is not me

>P&V

no wonder you think it's shit.

Get the comfy NYRB edition

Yeah I liked Bulgakov

Could you name a book ypu do like?

>The parts where the author refers to himself and calls himself "the author" and calls the characters "the characters of our story" or something similar is just pure cringe.
Love it when he does this and I wish more writers would.

I always feel like it would be awful if anyone other than Gogol did it. He just plays around with the story and how he tells it so smoothly.

Read it during a trip to Moscow in December and found it to be pretty funny and well written. I didn't cringe at all and genuinely liked the novel. I still prefer his short stories like Viy, The Nose, The Overcoat and Diary of a Madman, but Dead Souls is good and it's so damn short! That you would be bored by such a tiny little unfinished novel is beyond me.

Dostoevsky does it occasionally as well, sort of less overtly though

jesus christ

Good soldier Švejk by Hašek.

It's not really like Gogol but it's very funny and and similar in spirit. That could be because it's a story about a dumb (anti) hero which could be characteristic of slavic stories.

I would second Bely. He's worth it

>Could you name a book ypu do like?
Crime and punishment for example is a book I regard to be a 10/10

Bce вepнo. "Beчepa..." пpaвдa бyдeт cлoжнoвaтo читaть ecли нe знaeшь yкpaинcкoгo. Toжe caмoe co cбopникoм "Mиpгopoд".