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5 Stars • Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol follows the cunning Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov as he travels through Russia, buying "dead souls"—serfs who are deceased but still listed in government records. His scheme aims to use these souls as collateral for a loan, exposing the corruption and moral decay of Russian society through his interactions with various landowners. Each character represents a satirical critique of societal flaws.

Firstly, the ending was so frustrating that I actually threw this book away (onto grass so all is well). I really enjoyed the way Gogol breaks the 4th wall and adds his own personality onto the descriptions, yet the ending of this book is full of incomplete sentences and an entirely missing section which is where the chaos built up was supposed to unfold. I‘m upset right now - maybe I‘ll think differently when I‘m a bit calmer. What do you think?

Book Sorting score - four Modern Libraries WITH JACKETS, that I didn't already own.

The book tells you the twist of the story near the start, because the story isn't really about it. Rather, its about the characters. They are rich, stange, funny, and thoughtful. The Russian names and references can be a problem with some editions, so get Penguin Classic verison of book for endnotes that don't overwhelm you while adding to your experience of this novel.