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| Nikolai Gogol 1809-1852 |
We're foregoing chronology for context again; we simply can't go any further in our exploration of Russian short stories until we give Nikolai Gogol his due.
Let's face it; Russian literature isn't exactly packed full of belly laughs. In Dostoyevski's works, there are a few chortles attributable to Gogol's influence. Chekhov displayed a keen wit. In Turgenev, one might find an occasional poignant and restrained chuckle, but always with a heavy sigh. And Tolstoy isn't very funny at all. But Gogol was funny; his characters are still familiar to us, and his comic timing, vivid imagination and sense of irony blurs the boundaries of genre. This guy was very much of and ahead of his time.
Gogol's work straddles the end of the Romantic age, when Russian literature primarily imitated European forms and styles, and the age in which the tables of influence would begin to turn as Russian realism made its indelible mark on European literature. His stories give us a view of what Russian literature was and of what it would become. The effect of his influence in Russia was almost immediate, and while it would take time for European and American writers to embrace the new perspective, its effect, through the work of Turgenev, Dostoyevski, Tolstoy and Chekhov, would be long lasting.
Taken together, these stories are an intriguing patchwork of absurdist humor, satire, fantasy and folklore. Government workers and small town potentates are ridiculed. Paupers make deals with the Devil for riches and marital bliss that don't quite pan out. An impoverished scribe gets a hard-earned brand new coat and the newfound respect of his coworkers, only to have it taken off his back. Menacing figures climb out of spooky portraits to ruin the lives of artists. A bunch of fifteenth century Cossack warriors invade Poland for fun. Underscoring all of this is a deeply felt humanity and commitment to truths much larger than the ordinary people he depicts. This is rich, colorful stuff indeed.
So let's have a look at the first of two anthologies of his work from the 1830s and 1840s we'll explore on The Overleaf.
Taras Bulba and Other Tales (18??) by Nikolai Gogol
"Taras Bulba" is a novella that is atypical in style. In fact, this novella is the end result of a failed attempt to write the definitive, multi-volume Ukrainian history. It's the story of a Cossack leader and his two sons, Ostap and Andrii, who have just returned from Kiev upon graduating from university. Ostap is a born warrior like his father, and Andrii is sensitive and more prone to romantic feelings. But both sons are expected to fight by their father's side in defense of Cossack glory. After a brief family reunion, Taras takes his sons to join their compatriots.
When not waging war, the Cossacks tended to hang around and party a lot. Restrained by pesky peace treaties and chomping at the bit to cause holy mayhem, they cast their wine gourds aside and pick up their swords to wage war against Poland after hearing news of an alleged Jewish/Polish/Catholic plot that threatens their beloved Orthodox church.
This historical romance, Homeric in tone and form, is a pretty gripping tale of honor, love, betrayal and adventure. The main hurdle for modern readers will likely be the cringe-inducing anti-Semitism. The Cossacks' short list of folks they love to hate includes Poles, Catholics, Muslims and most vehemently, Jews, who are grotesquely portrayed in shifty and money-grubbing caricature. In all fairness, this bias is very true to life, reflecting a cultural norm in the historical period it depicts and of the nineteenth century. There is a broader context to consider, and while twenty first century hackles might be raised when the Jewish peddler Yankel enters the story, the plot, pacing and finely wrought prose are only somewhat diminished.
"St. John's Eve" is a classic deal-with-the-Devil story in which a poor young man wins the hand of a beautiful young girl when he accepts sacks of gold from the Devil himself. Not surprisingly, there is a major catch in the deal. This is a Cossack folk tale retold in great romantic style with eerie Gothic touches. Great setup, great ending. It's pretty scary, too.
Gogol's Cossack roots figure prominently in his whole body of work, whether spinning variations of Ukrainian folk tales or describing contemporary urban characters in St. Petersburg or Moscow from an outsider's perspective. "The Cloak" marks where Russian literature really begins. It has been cited by the major Russian writers of the nineteenth century as a singular source of inspiration that set the tone for just about everything that would arise in its wake.
This is a wicked satire of Russian urban life, where hapless clerks are resigned to a life of meekness and poverty, police and government officials display incredible hubris, and injustice is avenged from the grave. Without spoiling it for you, a miserable government clerk crimps and saves for a new coat for months. His new coat elevates his status in the eyes of his peers, but the sudden loss of the garment brings him face to face with arrogant policemen and obstinate, egotistical bureaucrats. Great ending too, but you didn't hear it from me. The real meat of this story is to be found in the descriptive details.
In "How the Two Ivans Quarreled", two longtime friends, both prominent citizens of a small Ukrainian town take a petty disagreement over the ownership of a Turkish gun to absurd heights. ending in willful destruction of property, endless litigation and the nursing of a grudge that lasts for years. The outcome of the tale is utterly plausible because the characters are so recognizable. What would satire be without a hefty dose of realism? It would be farce--something Gogol never resorts to, no matter how ridiculous the actions of his characters.
My favorite story in this collection is "The Mysterious Portrait", a chilling tale of a down and out artist who visits a shop full of cheap, second and third rate paintings and spends the last of his money on a portrait of an old man that both haunts and fascinates him. On the verge of being evicted from his rooms, the artist has a terrifying dream in which the figure in the painting comes to life bearing packets of gold ducats. When visited by his landlord and a police officer demanding his back rent, he accidentally finds that the picture frame has dispensed to him the money he saw in his dream.
One can imagine what happens next. Enamored of his newfound fortune, he changes his lifestyle, moves into a swank neighborhood and becomes a fashionable artist, moving in exclusive circles and neglecting his considerable talent as an artist to live the good life. The tone, dialogue and moral gravity of the story is not dissimilar to the essential elements of a Rod Serling screenplay for "The Twilight Zone". And that's a good thing.
"The Calabash", local landowners hobnob with offices when the cavalry establishes a new base in a podunk town. One of them, Pythagoras Chertokutsky, well in his cups while playing cards with the boys, brags about his four thousand ruble carriage and invites the party of officers to see it the next day. After more drinking and merriment that keeps him out until four in the morning, he awakens, surprised to find his new, expectant friends have arrived. This story is brief by Gogol's standards--a succinct study of social climbing and braggadoccio with a quick punch line.
By the way, the introduction to this collection is well worth reading. Lots of background information on Gogol, especially relating to the creation of "Taras Bulba".
Next time, we'll look at another collection of stories by Gogol.
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