Gogol and Nabokov: Complete Short Stories in Quarto Editions

Gallimard's Quarto collection has released two volumes of complete short stories by Nikolai Gogol and Vladimir Nabokov, edited by Michel Niqueux and Bernard Kreise respectively. The publication highlights the two authors' unique positions in Russian literature as outsiders—'the least Russian of Russian writers'—who used burlesque and absurdity to explore human tragedy. The article contrasts Gogol's dark view of Russia, expressed in letters calling it a 'caveau' (vault) and his longing for Rome, with Nabokov's cosmopolitan exile across Europe and America. Gogol's stories, such as 'The Nose,' 'The Overcoat,' and 'Diary of a Madman,' depict innocent protagonists persecuted by a guilty world, while his Roman tales show a serene shift inspired by Italy. Nabokov, who wrote a book on Gogol, saw his own work as a tribute to Russia despite his exile. The article also notes Nabokov's unfinished text 'The Original of Laura,' to be reviewed in a future issue of art press.