Nikolay Gogol

'Strangely enough, I mistook it for a gentleman at first. Fortunately I had my spectacles with me so I could see it was really a nose.'

The Nose

Nikolai Gógol

Russia's great nineteenth-century satirical absurdist shows what happens when a man wakes up with his nose missing, and illustrates the folly of boasting.

“Please understand, my nose is traveling at this very moment all over the town, calling itself a state councilor. That’s why I’m asking you to print this advertisement announcing the first person who catches it should return the nose to its rightful owner as soon as possible. ”
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Charmingly absurd and delightfully clever, this is yet another perfect short story from Gogol. If you are interested in Russian classics, but are too intimidated by the chonkers, this is a great starter. Much recommended.

Nikolai Gogol

Collegiate Assessor Kovalyov awakens to discover that his nose is missing, he finds and confronts his nose, but the nose has acquired a higher rank in the civil service than he and refuses to return to his face.

Catarina

Tija

Kathrin Schuster

Sammy

Carmen Maria

Sasuga

Nikita 

Angie Lee

sarah

Nada Ghanim

"A most extraordinary thing happened in St. Petersburg on the twenty-fifth of March." The opening lines of "The Nose", one of Gogol’s best-known stories, and quite possibly the most absurd, are just as promising as any of his works. The simple yet extraordinary plot follows the story of the civil servant Major Kovalyov who wakes up one morning to discover his nose has left his face and is living a life of its own. Strange as it may seem, the nose has even surpassed him by attaining a higher rank! The story is a brilliant portrayal of the preoccupation with social rank in Imperial Russia, a biting satire of the bureaucrats’ pursuit of higher position within the Table of Ranks. A masterful combination of brilliant words, witty imagination, and unparalleled humor, it remains one of the most striking stories of all times. It is believed to have influenced masterpieces of world literature, including Dostoevsky's "The Double," Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", and Kafka’s "Metamorphosis". Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) was a Ukrainian-born Russian humorist, novelist, and dramatist whose work played a crucial role in the direction of Russian literature. He was considered to be one of the leading figures of Russian realism. His novel "Dead Souls", a satire of the political corruption in the Russian Empire, is viewed by many literary historians as the first great Russian novel. Among his contributions to Russian and world literature are the surrealistic and grotesque "The Nose" and "The Mantle", the satirical "The Government Inspector/The Inspector General", the historical novel "Taras Bulba", the comedy "Marriage", the humorous short stories "Diary of a Madman" and "The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich". His works have influenced generations of readers and still continue to impress with their subtle psychologism and matchless style.

The Nose

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