N. V. Gogol. Сomplete works and correspondence (23 vols). Vol. 8: Dead Souls [Myortvye dushi]. Part two

Abstract

The 8th volume of the new 23-volume complete works and correspondence of N. Gogol contains both sets of the surviving chapters of the second part of Dead Souls. In contrast to the previous scholarly edition (1935-1952), the team of Gogol scholars of the Institute of World Literature of the RAS, headed by Y. Mann, revised the approach to the source of the main text in favour of the so called ‘under text’ of the manuscript, known since 1849from its reading by the author to his friends; compared with the‘overwriting,’ it appears more comprehensive, artistically complete, and stylistically consistent. It is the first such publication that reduces conjectures to a minimum, in keeping with contemporary principles of scholarly publications. The book’s indisputable value lies in its extensive reference section, which features a detailed table of contents to ease navigation of the references, as well as a chapter on the Divine Comedy as an alleged prototype of Dead Souls.