âMemoirs of a Madmanâ is a fascinating short following Poprishchin, a minor civil servant, as he descends into insanity. Unique in Golgolâs collection, it is the only story he wrote completely from the first person in the form of a number of diary entries. Constantly ridiculed by friends and repressed by the government of Tsarist Russia, he confides all in his journal documenting his slow decline in to insanity. As the only account we have is Poprishchinâs, we have no idea if the continually fantastical events happening before us are real or simply figments of his imagination. It is a fascinating novel, equally humourous as it is farcical, from talking dogs to tea-thirsty cows if you liked Leonardo Dicaprioâs âShutter islandâ youâll love this short.
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was one of the first writers to adopt surrealism and the grotesque in his work. As well as being one of Russiaâs most acclaimed authors, he is acknowledged as one of the founders of the short story genre alongside Nathaniel Hawthorne and E.T.A Hoffman. His early writing was largely inspired by his time spent growing up in Ukraine, itâs culture and itâs folklore, while his later writing targeted and satirised the political corruption of the Russian Empire. His unique and strange form of writing similar to the âostranenieâ technique, allowed his audience to see familiar topics and stories from a completely new perspective. Acknowledged for his brilliance by many acclaimed authors such as Fedor Dostoevsky his best works include âDead Soulsâ, âTaras Bulbaâ and âEvenings on a Farm Near Dikankaâ.