Project Gutenberg 1997-10-01 Public domain in the USA. 2404 Gogol, Nikolai Vasilevich 1809 1852 Gogol, Nikolay Vasilyevich Гоголь, Николай Васильевич Gogol, Nikolaj Hogarth, D. J. Mertvye dushi. English Dead Souls Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Souls John Bickers, and David Widger "Dead Souls" by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol is a novel written in the early 19th century, recognized as a significant piece in Russian literature. The story follows the enigmatic main character, Pavel Ivanovitch Chichikov, as he embarks on a peculiar journey throughout provincial Russia with the intention of acquiring "dead souls"—the deceased serfs that landowners are still taxed for, thus exposing the absurdities of social and bureaucratic systems in Tsarist Russia. The opening of "Dead Souls" introduces Chichikov as he arrives at a humble inn in a provincial town, drawing little attention yet demonstrating the quiet confidence of a man with ulterior motives. As he settles in, the narrative provides a vivid depiction of the typical Russian inn and the townspeople's brief observations on him and his carriage. Chichikov's mannerisms and inquiries reveal his broader interests in the social dynamics of the region, as he collects information about local officials and the landowners’ holdings, setting the stage for his unfathomable scheme to purchase the dead serfs. The chapter establishes an ironic tone, hinting at themes of social critique and the exploration of human nature, all while weaving rich imagery of the Russian landscape and its characters. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 67.1 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Satire Humorous stories Russia -- Social life and customs -- 1533-1917 -- Fiction Swindlers and swindling -- Russia -- Fiction PG Text Best Books Ever Listings Category: Novels Category: Russian Literature 980095 2025-08-01T08:28:26.239673 text/html 967373 2024-06-08T13:34:41 text/html 620367 2025-08-01T08:28:35.086601 application/epub+zip 634060 2025-08-01T08:28:27.914660 application/epub+zip 634061 2025-08-01T08:28:26.959687 application/epub+zip 1545093 2025-08-01T08:28:41.131594 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 1505477 2025-08-01T08:28:34.362629 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 640611 2022-09-01T09:32:10.775127 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 856953 2025-08-01T08:28:25.101683 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 837228 2024-06-08T13:34:41 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18240 2025-08-01T08:28:41.285562 application/rdf+xml 35938 2025-08-01T08:28:27.285644 image/jpeg 4528 2025-08-01T08:28:27.119635 image/jpeg 1161105 2025-08-01T08:28:26.326650 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog fi.wikipedia en.wikipedia de.wikipedia