Reading for Writers discussion

"We all come out from Gogol's 'Overcoat'" -- a quote often attributed to one of the greatest writers of all time, Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Whether he said it or not, many of the great Russian writers were influenced by Ukranian-Russian writer Gogol. Contemporary writers such as Jhumpa Lahiri and Vladamir Nabokov too.

Though this is a short story, not a novel, it gives a good taste of Gogol's style and anticipates what is to come in the next few decades of Russian literature.

Group discussion between 20th-28th February.

A few questions to start us off, feel free to add your own.

1. What is the role of the narrator in this story? How would the story have been different if it were told in the third person? How much like or unlike Gogol do you think the narrator is?

2. This story has been mentioned in Chekhov and Dostoyevsky's fiction--why do you think it left such a lasting impression in Russian literature? Why has it been so influential?

3. To what extent is the Overcoat an act of the author "letting himself go"?

4. How effective was the use of allegory in this short story?

The narration was almost like an acquaintance telling us a story about somebody that they used to know. Skimming the story, when I read this question, I initially thought that it was written in third person. However, it's more like somebody writing in first person and reminiscing on a pasttime. This is a really interesting way of writing as I really haven't read many books using this kind of perspective.
I'm actually not familiar to much of Gogol's work (though I'm sure I'll be reading more of it now) so I'll be interested to see how like or unlike you think the narrator is to him?

Again, I'm not too familiar with Russian literature but for me, just the perspective was quite interesting. I also enjoyed the almost slow paced, mundane journey of someone's life. It felt like sliding into a situation that wasn't particularly exciting, yet I ended up getting quite emotionally invested in the character.
I felt as though we got to know the character on a slightly deeper level through watching his dilemmas and sacrifices. Even the slight evolution of Akakii having the guts to approach the important personage and request help was admirable and so different to the Akakii at the very beginning.

It was one of those reads that slightly haunting because it makes you look at how small actions can lead to enormous consequences. It seems to be a story about a worker who needs a new coat and then requires help after it's stolen. Yet, it's also about the lack of compassion that's in the world, acknowledging and helping the more vulnerable members of society (without sounding too condescending) before it's too late.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and the writing style.

Rufaro wrote: "The narration was almost like an acquaintance telling us a story about somebody that they used to know. Skimming the story, when I read this question, I initially thought that it was written in thi..."

Hi Rufaro, glad you liked this one. I can't say how close to Gogol the narrator is, but the narrator of his short story 'The Nose' is pretty similar in feel, only more absurd. It's about a man whose nose goes missing...

In Russian literature from the 19th century it is quite common to break from the narrative to remind the reader that what you're reading comes from an author, but what's interesting is that this seldom takes you away from the scene. I feel if lesser authors were to attempt it, they might disengage us by breaking that suspended sense of disbelief.

I feel Gogol, like his successors, is very skilled at focusing on aspects of humanity that are realistic and revealing. Adaki and his world are strange to a degree, but the Russia presented is not a meritocracy. Adaki works hard but his dedication doesn't pay off. We are reminded that his tailor was a freed serf. Those in his work place eat only what their financial situations allow them to. All this injustice is tempered with the strange story of a man who wants a coat, eventually gets it and briefly becomes the happiest man alive before dying and haunting the city until he is able to deal with those who wronged him. It feels almost comical to read (much like The Nose). At the same time, I resonated a lot with Adaki; I too have had that short-lived feeling of finally having something you've saved up for for a long time. Like you say, Adaki does become more assertive towards the end (especially in death). His story does in a way paint society as quite bleak, a place where people will only care when the weight of their conscience is too much to bear. For me the combination of the comical with the realism definitely made this feeling more haunting.

Bulgakov does this too (combining the absurd with realism/a social message, I mean), though authors like Tolstoy and Dosteyevsky have instead concentrated on the realism (injustices, human fallibility) and psychology (in particular the latter) of their characters and situations.

If you liked the Overcoat I really recommend you read The Namesake, a novel by Jhumpa Lahiri. If you get around to it feel free to discuss here :)