Dead Souls

The novel follows Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov as he navigates through Russian society, meeting various middle-class characters that reflect the era's complexities. Gogol intended his work as an "epic poem in prose," blending humor and social commentary. Notably, the narrative concludes abruptly, echoing stylistic elements from Sterne, yet many view it as a complete piece. The author famously destroyed the second part of the trilogy before his death, adding to the intrigue surrounding this classic of 19th-century Russian literature.