The Overcoat
Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol · English
The Overcoat (Russian: Шинель, Shinel, 1842) is a celebrated short story by Nikolai Gogol, one of the foundational works of Russian realism.
Shows only the Indonesian translation.
View original and translation side by side.
Read the source text without translation.
Pagera Editor's Note
The Overcoat (Russian: Шинель, Shinel, 1842) is a celebrated short story by Nikolai Gogol, one of the foundational works of Russian realism. Dostoevsky famously declared, "We all came out of Gogol's Overcoat." The story follows Akakiy Akakievich Bashmachkin, a humble titular councillor in St. Petersburg who scrimps and saves to buy a new overcoat, only to have it stolen on his first night out. The ensuing official indifference, his death, and a fantastic ghostly epilogue blend satire, pity, and the supernatural in a way that defined the Petersburg short story and influenced generations of Russian writers including Dostoevsky, Chekhov, and Bulgakov.
Author
Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (1809-1852), born in Ukraine, was a Russian writer of short stories, novels, and plays, regarded as the founder of Russian realism and a master of the grotesque. His works include Dead Souls (1842), The Inspector General (1836), Diary of a Madman (1835), The Nose (1836), and Taras Bulba (1835). Gogol's last years were marked by religious crisis; he died in Moscow at 42 after burning the second part of Dead Souls.
The Overcoat
Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol · English
The Overcoat (Russian: Шинель, Shinel, 1842) is a celebrated short story by Nikolai Gogol, one of the foundational works of Russian realism.
Pagera Editor's Note
The Overcoat (Russian: Шинель, Shinel, 1842) is a celebrated short story by Nikolai Gogol, one of the foundational works of Russian realism. Dostoevsky famously declared, "We all came out of Gogol's Overcoat." The story follows Akakiy Akakievich Bashmachkin, a humble titular councillor in St. Petersburg who scrimps and saves to buy a new overcoat, only to have it stolen on his first night out. The ensuing official indifference, his death, and a fantastic ghostly epilogue blend satire, pity, and the supernatural in a way that defined the Petersburg short story and influenced generations of Russian writers including Dostoevsky, Chekhov, and Bulgakov.
Key vocabulary (20)
Most frequent words in Chapter 1. A quick glance before reading helps you follow the text. (stopwords excluded)
- akakiy×93
- akakievitch×90
- cloak×67
- petrovitch×52
- himself×42
- personage×24
- every×23
- upon×23
- official×21
- other×21
- prominent×21
- department×19
- order×19
- home×18
- officials×18
- head×17
- might×17
- room×17
- life×15
- whom×15
Author
Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol
Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (1809-1852), born in Ukraine, was a Russian writer of short stories, novels, and plays, regarded as the founder of Russian realism and a master of the grotesque. His works include Dead Souls (1842), The Inspector General (1836), Diary of a Madman (1835), The Nose (1836), and Taras Bulba (1835). Gogol's last years were marked by religious crisis; he died in Moscow at 42 after burning the second part of Dead Souls.
Translation status
Other books by this author
You May Also Like
Same Author · Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol
Same Era & Genre
Frequently asked questions
Yes — completely free. This book is in the public domain, so Pagera offers the full text without payment or account requirement. Pagera is funded by advertising.
Free to read
Start reading immediately — no signup required. Create a free account for more books and features.