BOOK CLUB #6 DEAD SOULS BY NIKOLAI GOGOL

[Hazy]

I love Gogol's style of writing. I laughed out loud when he claimed that fat men were richer then thin men.

[jessicalee]

I loved that part too. I'm really enjoying this book; it's one of only a few books that I have actually laughed out loud at.

[Michelle]

Sorry to join the discussion so late. I haven't had internet access for awhile and I just finished the first section yesterday anyway.

I'm really enjoying this book. I think it is hilarious - I've been laughing out loud the whole time. Like some of you said, I liked how he said the fat men rule the world. I love his writing style. I think I have a good translation which makes it so much better than if it were a poor one.

I think that he is buying the souls for a particular purpose and that we won't know what it is for awhile. It must be more than just to appear rich.

I think what he is mocking is Russian society and culture in general. He is just making fun of the way everyone lives. I think someone said that above.

This is my first experience with Gogol and I'm glad it is an enjoyable one.

[Carma]

I think he's also mocking Russian society,.. and maybe sometimes the reader... because he writes things like: this is what the reader would like to know, so why not tell them. or something like that

I think we'll know a lot more at the end..

[bookworm]

This is also my first Gogol and I'm loving it... I'm glad I got the Overcoat and The Diary of a madman from the library as well, cause I definitely want to read more of his work!

[Kristie]

I had to read the Overcoat for school about 4 years ago, and I definitely didn't get it, probably because it was for school and because I wasn't as prepared for it as I am with this. But I love Dead Souls

[Kristie]

Okay, I'm going to continue on the discussion.

This second section of the book was just as amusing as the first. At the outset, Chichikov is leaving Nozdrev’s estate and he gets into a little carriage accident with another. He glimpses a passenger of beauty in the other carriage, and upon this sighting, he imagines her whole personality into one he would love and marry. Gogol has a tendency to do this with his characters—allow them to imagine another’s personality with barely any acquaintance, in this case none at all.
Chichikov finally manages to arrive at Sobakevitch’s estate. I find it a little odd that he is two days late for his appointment, and neither mentions it at all. Unlike Madame Korobotchka, Sobakevitch is willing to sell his dead souls even when he assumes there must be an advantage to owning them. However, he is a bit crazy in his selling for wanting to get paid the price as if they were living, because the name alone carries the prestige the serfs had.
An unexpected stop at a miser’s home gives Chichikov even more dead souls. Pushkin seems the most reasonable seller, by recognizing the dead souls do him no good and it would be a financial benefit for him to sell them. However, the reasonable tradesman in him is weighed out by the fact that he is going crazy and thinks all of his serfs have it in for him. What odd quirks Gogol is giving these characters…
In this section, Chichikov finishes his visits and all that is left to do is legally transfer the souls. Two witnesses are suggested—the Public Prosecutor and the Inspector of the Medical Department—for they are never busy with work and will be available. To me, those jobs seem important, and I assume Gogol has a satirical moment here.
When the transfer is over, the Governor has a ball, at which Chichikov is an unofficial guest of honor (because all love him). Before he goes to the ball, Chichikov receives a letter from a “secret admirer.” I think this admirer will *incidentally* be the unknown beauty from the carriage. So it’s an odd surprise when Chichikov meets the young lady at the ball, introduced as the Governor’s daughter, fresh from school. No telling if she is the admirer, but he loves her nevertheless. Nozdrev makes another appearance and proclaims Chichikov is purchasing dead souls. Luckily for him, all know Nozdrev is a liar and, on this occasion, also drunk.
I can’t wait to see what unfolds next…

[Lu]

I enjoyed this second part as much as the first too. It's so intaresting to see how every landowner reacts to Chichikov's request for dead souls.
I really like when Gogol describes his characters, like he did for Pushkin, telling something about his past.

[bookworm]

I don't have anything to add to Kristie's post... I just love Gogol's sarcasm and irony! I was so sorry for the way the night of the ball ended for Chichikov... One minute he was the millionaire guest of honor and the next he had to leave early to calm down after Nozdrev's claim...

[wvrunna221]

I kind of saw that the word of him buying dead souls would come out. I'm from a town where everybody knows everybody. The whole town knows your business 3 seconds after something happens. I'm surpised someone hasn't talked about it before the ball.

[Kristie]

Well, we have to remember the people Chichikov bought these souls from had land that Chichikov had to make trips to visit, so they're not too close to the town. Or anybody else really, they're just surrounded by their own land. So I can understand it took a big gathering for it to come out, but I thought it would too.

[Michelle]

I seem to have not read as far as I should have - I thought we were supposed to read through chapter 7, but I never read about a ball.

Anyway, I really like this book. All of the characters are so interesting and funny (and usually annoying). Gogol does such a good job with character development.

I was confused by the transaction and why they needed so many people there. I wasn't sure if that many people were needed in those days or if he was exaggerating for satirical purposes.

I'm really curious what he is going to do with these dead souls. I hope we learn soon.

[Carma]

I'm not sure if it's just my translation, but I think it's written very easy.. like a little kid could still read it.. but maybe thats the translation..

I find it hard to concentrate on the book, I like what happens now and then.. but sometimes (when he's describing a lot) my mind wonders off and I have no idea what I've just read...

anyway, I think it's a bit weird how all those man hug and kiss each other... sometimes they seem kind of gay.. but maybe thats how things were done in that time...

oh, that man that had a lot of dead souls, who was saving everything he could find.. he reminded me a bit of my grandpa... he also collected everything he could find (and never used it) so there was a lot of things lying around in my grandparents house, they saved everything and there was also a lot of food that you should probably not eat... and he also accused everybody of everything (especially when he was in the hospital and he said that a nurse came into his room at night and took his blood...) so that chracter reminded me of him...

[Kristie]

Oops! I read through Chapter 8, I think. I thought we were supposed to. Sorry!

[Carma]

oh, I actually thuoght we also had to read chapter 8.. the ball was funny, Tjitsjikow(or something) turns out to be a ladiesman..