Reviews for Eight Twentieth-Century Russian Plays

The average rating for Eight Twentieth-Century Russian Plays based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-10-19 00:00:00 Karen Sullivan Ревизор = The Inspector General = The Government Inspector, Nikolai Gogol The Government Inspector, is a satirical play by the Russian and Ukrainian dramatist and novelist Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836. The play is a comedy of errors, satirizing human greed, stupidity, and the extensive political corruption of Imperial Russia. The corrupt officials of a small Russian town, headed by the Mayor, react with terror to the news that an incognito inspector (the incognito one) will soon be arriving in their town to investigate them. The flurry of activity to cover up their considerable misdeeds is interrupted by the report that a suspicious person has arrived two weeks previously from Saint Petersburg and is staying at the inn. That person, however, is not an inspector; it is Khlestakov, a foppish civil servant with a wild imagination. Having learned that Khlestakov has been charging his considerable hotel bill to the Crown, the Mayor and his crooked cronies are immediately certain that this upper-class twit is the dreaded inspector. For quite some time, however, Khlestakov does not even realize that he has been mistaken for someone else. Meanwhile, he enjoys the officials' terrified deference and moves in as a guest in the Mayor's house. He also demands and receives massive "loans" from the Mayor and all of his associates. He also flirts outrageously with the Mayor's wife and daughter. ... تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیست و یکم ماه اکتبر سال 1977میلادی عنوان: بازرس؛ نویسنده: نیکلای گوگول؛ مترجم: محمدرضا نیک بخش؛ تهران، بامداد، 1355، در 192ص؛ موضوع: نمایشنامه های نویسندگان روسیه - سده 19م عنوان: بازرس - کمدی در پنج پرده؛ نویسنده: نیکلای گوگول؛ مترجم: آبتین گلکار؛ تهران، هرمس، 1388، در 147ص؛ شابک 9789643636029؛ نمایشنامه ی «بازرس»، با خبر آمدن یک بازرس، به شهری دورافتاده، آغاز می‌شود؛ خبر، مسئولان ادارات را، به تکاپو می‌اندازد، تا برای نابسامانیها و تخلفات خود، و همقطارانشان، تدبیری بیندیشند؛ مردمان شهر نیز، به چالش می‌افتند، تا نارضایتی خویش از شهردار شهر خویش را، به گوش بازرس برسانند؛ و ...؛ تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 23/09/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Review # 2 was written on 2020-03-02 00:00:00 Jonathan Stanton The Inspector General by Gogol is one of the best satirical plays that I've read. Gogol is well known for his satire, either subtle or presumptuous. Satire is his forte. And in The Inspector General, it is expressed in its best. Gogol voiced strongly against the greed, corruption, and inefficiency of the government officials. His various works are proof of this. But in my view, it is in The Inspector General, that Gogol discloses his views strongly. The story is set in a provincial town, and it exposes the greed, corruption, inefficiency, and the despotism of the local officials on an official scale, and also vanity, self-importance, and opportunism on a personal scale. These officials squander government money which is granted to improve the facilities in the town. They make the life of the people miserable by demanding exorbitant bribes for work to be done or for trade to be carried on and harass them unnecessarily just to show their power. And when the news of an official visit from Petersburg reaches their ears, these officials concoct a joint venture on how to deceive him. Could they deceive him or would they be deceived in turn? The play conveys a powerful message and the satire is presumptuous. The comical tone that is so perfectly maintained is most entertaining. Despite the gravity of the story, it was altogether hilarious. I can't remember the last time I've laughed over a play this much. It was so entertaining. Had I watched a performance, I'm sure to have died of laughter! Gogol has expressed his views so boldly through the play that while it won him critical acclaim it also incurred severe disapproval of the "subjects" of his play that he was compelled to leave Russia. That in itself is proof of its success. The Inspector General is undoubtedly one of the best works by Gogol, seconding only to Dead Souls, and as I've already said one of the best satirical plays that have come across me.