Collected here are Gogol's finest tales - stories which combine the wide-eyed, credulous imagi-nation of the peasant with the sardonic social criticism of the city dweller - allowing readers to experience anew the unmistakable genius of a writer who paved the way of Dostoevsky and Kakfa. The wholly unique blend of satire and realism that Gogol crafted established his reputa-tion as one of the most daring and inventive writers of his time.