Dead Souls

Dead Souls, published in 1842 by Nikolai Gogol, is a significant work of 19th-century Russian literature. The novel explores the concept of 'dead souls'—serfs who are still counted as property despite being deceased—reflecting on the moral and spiritual emptiness of its characters. Gogol intended it as an 'epic poem in prose,' and although he planned a trilogy, he destroyed the second part before his death. The novel's unfinished nature and its critique of societal norms make it a notable piece in literary history.