Cover of Diary of a Madman and Other Tales by Nikolai Gogol Audiobook Diary of a Madman and Other Tales
Audiobook · Sovereign

Diary of a Madman and Other Tales

Author
Nikolai Gogol
Read by
Eloise Fairfax
Language
English
Length
3 hours 36 minutes
ISBN
9781802566079
Published
12 May 2025
Imprint
Sovereign
  • madness
  • satire
  • absurdity
  • societal norms
  • civil servant
  • lost nose
  • irony
  • social critique
  • human psyche
  • Russian society

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Description

"Diary of a Madman and Other Tales" by Nikolai Gogol is a collection of short stories showcasing the author's satirical wit and exploration of the absurd. The titular story follows the descent into madness of a low-ranking civil servant, providing a biting commentary on societal norms. "The Nose" humorously revolves around a man's lost nose leading a life of its own. Gogol's tales, filled with irony and social critique, delve into the human psyche and expose the eccentricities of Russian society, blending humor with a touch of the macabre.

Author

Nikolai Gogol (1809–1852) was the master of a satire so quiet it can seem harmless — until the ground shifts beneath it. In Dead Souls he mapped the hollow soul of imperial Russia with comic precision; in The Overcoat and The Nose he turned ordinary clerks and missing body parts into fables of humiliation, obsession, and bureaucratic nightmare.

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