From the Bookshelf of Never too Late to Read Classics…

The Overcoat

Nikolai Gogol

Start date: February 1, 2021

Finish date: February 28, 2021

Discussion: Short Story Classics

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 0 topics — 129 comments total

Short Story Classics

* 2026 Short Story Schedule
By Samantha , Creole Literary Belle · 12 posts · 34 views

last updated Nov 27, 2025 09:07PM

* 2026 Short Story Planning
By Samantha , Creole Literary Belle · 45 posts · 66 views

last updated Oct 26, 2025 06:07PM

showing 5 of 5 topics view all »

What Members Thought

May 17, 2022 Candace rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, favorites, short-stories, russia

Unbelievably, this was my first time reading this short story. It’s a favorite now.

I immediately was reminded of another favorite author of mine, Kafka, so the story had a leg up soon after I began.

Next, add in a narrator who particularly enamors me with absurdist language and situations, and also deigns to smoothly slide in an explanation for me here and there without interrupting the flow of events; I’m in for the haul.
…circumstances were such that it would have been impossible for him to ha ...more

20 likes · Like · see review

Apr 24, 2018 Kavitha Sivakumar rated it really liked it

Shelves: ir-armchair-2018

My first Gogol! Felt very sad after reading this book. It is a very simple story. But with his powerful writing, Gogol evokes such an emotion! Couple of pages into it, I thought why this book or even this author is considered good. But I kept on and started liking his writing style. The ending is something that Gogol wanted to have as justice, it seems. While the story describes the sad reality and human mind is fickle in getting entertainment at the expense of another human being, the ending is ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Sep 02, 2020 Brenda rated it liked it

I'd just read The Nose, and this short story is also supposed to be a great work of his. I enjoyed the writing, and I got the themes, but I didn't find the story very engaging. As far as the themes go, it was a bit predictable. Had the story been longer I probably would have left it, but being a short story I stuck it out. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 19, 2017 GONZA rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book

Anche se me l'hanno letta pure stavolta (grazie Radio3), questa novella é pesantissima, non tanto per il linguaggio ricercato e un po' vecchiotto della traduzione scelta, quanto per la storia che in confronto Ivan I'lic é di un'allegria trascinante. Un impiegato di mezza etá, un cappotto, un furto, tutto racchiuso in queste parole c'é uno dei racconti piú agghiaccianti che mente umana possa concepire, una specie di Fantozzi ante litteram, che poi a me non mi ha mai mai mai fatto ridere. La miser ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 23, 2021 Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2021, classics, russian-lit

The Cloak also known by the title The Overcoat tells the story of Akaky Akakievich, a low-level government official. Right away the author gives us the insight we need about Akaky's life. He is content, but not happy, fed but not well-clothed. He is surviving, but not thriving. Akaky is often ridiculed, and is a quiet (shy?) man. Akaky has a seemingly simple dream: he wants to own a fancy overcoat. He believes that those who ridicule him will stop and show him deference if he wears it. He daydre ...more

Like · see review

Jan 17, 2022 Garrett Cooper rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fic

Absolutely loved it! This story has everything that makes Russian literature so interesting, unique and engaging and it comes in a nice little package :D

Like · see review