Acknowledgments
Introduction, by Susanne Fusso
Notes on the Translation
Table of Ranks
1. The Lost Letter
2. Viy
3. The Portrait (1835 version)
4. Nevsky Avenue
5. Diary of a Madman
6. The Carriage
7. The Nose
8. Rome (A Fragment)
9. The Overcoat
Notes
Nikolai Gogol (1809–1852) was born in Ukraine and achieved literary
success in St. Petersburg. Among his most famous works are Dead
Souls and The Government Inspector, as well as short stories set in
the Ukrainian countryside and tales of St. Petersburg. He spent
some of his most productive years in Rome. Upon his return to
Russia, he struggled unsuccessfully to write a sequel to Dead
Souls, burning the manuscripts not long before his death.
Susanne Fusso is Marcus L. Taft Professor of Modern Languages and
professor of Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies at
Wesleyan University. Her many books include Designing Dead Souls:
An Anatomy of Disorder in Gogol (1993), and she has translated
Russian writers including Sergey Gandlevsky.
[A] first-rate collection . . . Admirers of Gogol and his odd
sensibilities will devour this excellent gathering.
*Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review*
While they deal in subjects including witchcraft, demonic
influence, and madness, Gogol’s stories are as humorous as they are
bizarre . . . The Nose and Other Stories is filled with ill-fated
characters, strange happenings, and satirical commentary.
*Foreword Reviews*
Since much of Gogol’s humor depends on linguistic play, he has
proven resistant to adequate translation. . . Fusso’s ear for humor
makes all the difference.
*New York Review of Books*
Crazy, colorful, delightful, and sad, Gogol’s short stories are
among the great gems of Russian literature. Susanne Fusso’s
scholarly and stylish new translations bring them alive once again
and make this selection a pleasure to read.
*David Bellos, author of Is That a Fish in Your Ear?:
Translation and the Meaning of Everything*
The first major English translation of Gogol’s stories in more than
twenty years, The Nose and Other Stories captures his humor and
complexity brilliantly. This volume will prove to be a great read
for students and Russian literature enthusiasts alike.
*Bruce Holl, Trinity University*
[A] really wonderful collection of Gogol’s writings, and essential
for any lover of his work.
*Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings*
An erudite, modern translation of [Gogol’s] work that shows clearly
how this strange writer became a defining influence on Russian
literature and beyond.
*Paperback Paris*
In a move that preserves a sense of foreignness in the English
translation, Fusso employs something closer to a literal
translation than the more idiomatic one used by Richard Pevear and
Larissa Volokhonsky in their 2011 rendering of Gogol’s stories.
Fusso maintains the pacing and eeriness of Gogol’s narrative flow
while also stretching out some of the language . . . Such choices
in translation create a subtle nod to the linguistic distance
Russian readers would have experienced reading Gogol’s prose.
*The Nation*
Susanne Fusso does excellent work making the Russian-to-English
prose accessible, readable, and unfussily poetic.
*Jason Half's Blog*
[Fusso's] translation captures all of Gogol’s magic.
*Evilcyclist's Bookshelf*
Ask a Question About this Product More... |