The Overcoat and Other Short Stories (Hardcover)
First published in 1842, ‘The Overcoat’ is a short story with great impact. Its themes of social commentary, the human condition, and a touch of the supernatural are combined with Gogol’s biting wit and innovative writing.
Civil servant, Akakiy Akakievitch, is underpaid and underappreciated. The harsh winter months are fast approaching and Akakievitch knows all too well that his overcoat won’t survive another repair. He scrimps and saves to the best of his ability until he finally has the funds to purchase a new coat. With the arrival of the garment, we see Akakievitch emerging from his shell. But in the cruel world of 19th-century Russia, this newfound happiness cannot last long.
When Akakievitch is assaulted on his way home, the two thugs steal his new overcoat. His coworkers, the police, and even a government official refused to assist Akakievitch. As the days grow shorter and the nights colder, Akakievitch falls deathly ill.
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About the Author
People consider that Russian writer Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (Николай Васильевич Гоголь) founded realism in Russian literature. His works include The Overcoat (1842) and Dead Souls (1842).
Ukrainian birth, heritage, and upbringing of Gogol influenced many of his written works among the most beloved in the tradition of Russian-language literature. Most critics see Gogol as the first Russian realist. His biting satire, comic realism, and descriptions of Russian provincials and petty bureaucrats influenced later Russian masters Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, and especially Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Gogol wittily said many later Russian maxims.
Gogol first used the techniques of surrealism and the grotesque in his works The Nose , Viy , The Overcoat , and Nevsky Prospekt . Ukrainian upbringing, culture, and folklore influenced his early works, such as Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka. His later writing satirized political corruption in the Russian empire in Dead Souls.