The Specifics of the Presence of Books in Gogol’s Works

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Author: Vladislav Sh. Krivonos
Information about the author:
Vladislav Sh. Krivonos, DSc in Philology, professor, Department of Literature, Journalism and Teaching Methods, Samara State University of Social Sciences and Education, Leo Tolstoy St., 47, 443010 Samara, Russia.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8138-0057

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For citation:
Krivonos, V.Sh. “The Specifics of the Presence of Books in Gogol’s Works.” Dostoevsky and World Culture. Philological journal, no. 1 (33), 2026, pp. 90–104. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22455/2619-0311-2026-1-90-104
Received: 05 Oct. 2025
Approved after reviewing: 20 Oct. 2025
Published: 25 March 2026
Issue: 2026 no. 1 (33)
Department: DOSTOEVSKY: HIS READINGS
Pages: 90–104
DOI: Visit Website
EDN:
https://elibrary.ru/SQJHQS
UDK: 821.161.1.0
BBK: 83.3(2Рос=Рус)52
Publication Type: Research Article
Keywords: Gogol, book, reading, reader, non-reader, story, novel, poem
Abstract: The article examines books that are read or mentioned by characters in several of Gogol’s works. It demonstrates that the interest in books—and the attitude toward them—displayed by Gogol’s characters reflects specific aspects of their personalities. Books are also considered as material objects that are part of the material world surrounding a particular character. An analysis of Gogol’s works shows that his characters have not developed a habit of reading and lack not only the ability but also the desire and need to read. When they do turn to a book, they tend more to imitate the act of reading than to engage in genuine reading. As their interests are in no way connected with reading, they appear more as non-readers than as readers. The article argues that Gogol does not draw a clear distinction between characters on this basis: he does not oppose types of non-readers to types of readers. Readers appear as non-readers in his works; it is another matter how and what they read. In those few works where books are present, Gogol treats the act of reading with undisguised irony. All these points are illustrated in the article with specific examples. The analysis draws on such works by Gogol as Ivan Fedorovich Shponka and His Aunt, Diary of a Madman, The Inspector General, and Dead Souls. The analysis reveals that Gogol’s characters combine, each in their own way, traits of both readers and non-readers. The specific form in which a book appears in Gogol’s works directly reflects the particular configuration of these traits.

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