3 short stories by Ukrainian author Nikolai Gogol
One of the greats of Russian literature, Nikolai Gogol (1809-52) published several well-known short stories
in addition to his novels and plays. We’ll discuss two stories about rural and small-town life in Ukraine,
nicknamed “Little Russia” in the 19th century. The first, Old-Fashioned Farmers (1835), tells the story
of a farm couple through the years. The second, The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled With Ivan
Nikiforovich (1835), is a good example of Gogol’s satirical treatment of social hierarchy and government
bureaucracy. The third, The Nose (1836), set in the 19th-century Russian capital of St. Petersburg, is
perhaps Gogol’s best-known short story. Dmitri Shostakovich adapted the story, with the same title
and general plot, in creating his first opera (1928). Dover has a Thrift paperback edition, The Overcoat
and Other Short Stories, for $3.50; each story is also available online in a pdf file.