The Overcoat - Gogol; Master and Man - Tolstoy

In “The Overcoat” (1842), written by Nikolai Gogol, an impoverished government clerk is regarded as an uninteresting coworker by his fellow bureaucrats. His threadbare coat is often the butt of their jokes. Suddenly, his acquisition of a prized overcoat raises his status in the workplace and he is even invited to a party! Fyodor Dostoyevsky is supposed to have said that all modern literature has come out of Gogol’s “The Overcoat.” Vladimir Nabokov described "The Overcoat" as "The greatest Russian short story ever written".

Leo Tolstoy's "Master and Man" (1864), is the tale of a nobleman with two fur coats and his peasant laborer who has gambled away his shirt and coat on drink. This is the story of master and servant grappling with their beliefs and values during a life-and-death struggle against nature. Through their harrowing experience, Tolstoy masterfully delves into the complexities of human existence, highlighting the transformative power of empathy and selflessness. "Master and Man" is a painstakingly crafted parable, rich in symbolism about the passage from life to death.

The Overcoat (The Cloak):

• Kindle The Cloak
• Gutenberg The Cloak
• PDF
• Audio 1hr 28m

Master and Man:

• Kindle
• Gutenberg
• Librivox 2hr 23m

Supplemental:

• The Overcoat 1953 radio dramatization
• Master and Man animated short

This meetup is part of the series Fig Leaves and Fancy Pants.