How the Two Ivans Quarrelledaf Nikolaj Gogol

The last story from the "Mirgorod" cycle, here Gogol presents two landowners deadlocked in an argument over a Turkish rifle, a brown pig, and a goose insult. What results is a playful satire and parody of the middle class Russian society and its war veterans. Quite memorable characters (the two Ivans), vivid imagery (though at time grotesquely depicted), humorous and witty dialogues, and an extraordinarily entertaining narrative make this short story a perfect read and a must for Gogol fans!

Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (1809-1852) was one of the best known realist writers in Russia. Acknowledged as one of the forerunners and best practitioners of the short story genre alongside Pushkin, E. T. A. Hoffmann, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, Gogol’s boundless ambition and penmanship proved remarkably fertile. His writing was largely marked by his own troubles in life, the culture and folklore of his native Ukraine, social issues, and the problematic relationships between people. Gogol’s most famous works include the novel "Dead Souls", the horror novella "Viy", as well as the short story collections "Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka" and "Mirgorod".