|
|
5.0étoiles sur 5
An epic 'poem', crumbling before our very eyes, Oct. 11 2001
Or, the agony and the ecstasy; the writer's pain and its only succor...An acquaintance once commented to me that, though he possessed virtually no creative drive, he didn't envy my own abilities whatsoever: having observed the glorious highs and exhausted lows I went through, all inspired by the febrile imagination, he concluded that a balanced approach to life was far more preferable. I was reminded of this exchange while reading the introduction to Nikolai Gogol's unfinished masterpiece, _Dead Souls_ . Apparently Gogol was blessed/plagued with an enormous amount of creative ambition: he wanted no less than to express the flaws in the Russian character, show how they could be rectified, and in turn 'save' his country from its social/economic quagmire. But though he possessed the vision - or at least glimpses of it - the task of expressing it adequately with the quill seemed far too difficult for the poor man. The mind's eye filled Gogol with glory and divination; it also destroyed him with self-doubt, restlessness, and inner condemnation. Any writer worth his salt (i.e. 'sensitive') will recognize these contrasting traits; will feel and intimately know the sting of art, its agony and its ecstasy. Alas, Gogol succumbed to the pressure, burning the drafts for _Dead Souls_ second book and never even starting the third concluding volume, and a few days after the conflagration Gogol passed away, probably unable to endure the destruction of his life's work. What remains - the completed first book and fragments of the second - can be contained in a single volume, and for those interested in Russian history and Russian Literature, _Dead Souls_ is a must. The first book contains much promise and is a delight to read. I do not speak Russian and thus cannot comment on the translation, but David Magarshack, a Russian native and famous for renditions of Dostoyevsky, writes with a clear mastery of the language. The tone is, for the most part, conversational: although there is a vast amount of description and author-asides, the writing never becomes tedious or indulgent. Gogol's savage sense of humor and his piercing character critiques certainly help, as does a healthy dose of self-depreciation. Although on the surface the first book concerns Chichikov purchasing 'dead souls' in order to gain an estate and title recognition, the emphasis is on the various landowners and commoners Chichikov meets in his travels. Gogol's contempt for the extravagant waste of the ruling class is obvious, as is his concern for the eventual effect it would have on his country. He modeled _Dead Souls_ on Dante's Divine Comedy, the first part being Chichikov's devious efforts to join these dissipated landowners, the second his success and subsequent fall from grace, and the third his retribution before the eyes of God, (presumably) finding happiness in simplicity. The beginning and fragmented end of the second book gives the reader a few hints into how Gogol planned to erect his masterpiece. A socialist attitude is introduced with the farmer-ideal of Kostanjoglo; Platon depicts the boredom of the born-wealthy. Unfortunately, the quality of material is not up to par with the first book, due to a lack of an editing polish and several chopped out sections. The 'final chapter' resembles more a synopsis of events and theme-development, and is an interesting viewpoint of the writer in mid-craft. The whole arc of the second book can be conjectured from what happens in this last chapter, so, despite its lecturing tone and poor development, it is certainly worth a read. Powerful, well written, challenging and at times flat out hilarious, _Dead Souls_ is rightly regarded among the pinnacle of Russian Literature. Less than Five Stars would do it an injustice.
Aidez d'autres clients à trouver les commentaires les plus utiles
Ce commentaire vous a-t-il été utile ?
 
|
|
|
|
