Author: Nikolai Gogol
Subject: short fiction
My rating: 4*
About the book:
This is one of the greatest short stories of Gogol, together with The Overcoat (seen as a play). It is the only story he wrote in first person, in form of a diary. I found the story even more interesting after just finishing my mental health block (sic). It's supposed to be one of the oldest cases of schizophrenia mentioned in literature, although some describe the main character as a megalomaniac. It is a satire of the bureaucracy of the time, but also paints a very clear example of the disturbed thinking of a 'madman' (schizophrenic/ megalomaniac). Behind the symbolism and satire, I found the story interesting from the medical point of view of the impact of the disease on the person and the society.
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