About this ebook
This is a new translation from the original Russian manuscript of Gogol's classic "The Viy". This edition contains an Afterword by the Translator, a timeline of Gogol's life and works and an Index of Gogol's individual works. The title of the story is the name of the Slavic male demonic creature that is the focus of the story. This is a horror novella centered on a seminary student who encounters a witch and must later confront the monstrous entity named Viy. This is one of the first uses of the technique of the grotesque, which was largely created by Gogol and copied (along with tragi-comic surrealism) by Kafka. In Kiev, three students ventured on a vacation, but while seeking shelter, Khoma Brut had a harrowing encounter with an old woman who turned out to be a witch. The experience shook him, but upon his return to Kyiv, he was tasked with praying for a deceased young woman, who was the same witch. Over three nights, Khoma was tormented by supernatural forces in the church, culminating in the summoning of Viy, a fearsome entity. Unable to resist Viy's gaze, Khoma met a tragic end, with his peers speculating that fear was his ultimate downfall.
About the author
A Russian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer, Gogol was a personal friedn of Dostoevsky, Turgenev and Tolstoy. He is considered the father of modern Russian realism. His works, including "Dead Souls" and "The Overcoat," are renowned for their satirical depiction of Russian society and bureaucracy. Gogol's blend of realism, grotesque, and absurdism had a profound influence on Russian and world literature.
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