Negative Positive
Title: Gogol-lite but good
Review: The Village of Stepanchikovo is indeed a very strange work for those familiar with Dostoevsky's works. His psychological novels inform our understanding of Russian society and, at the same time, his works transcend their cultural boundaries to reveal truths of human nature. One could go on and on about how great a writer Dostoevsky is. That being said, the Village of Stepanchikovo is an odd book indeed. One could consider this novel his homage to Gogol, a stab at comedy. Although not entirely successful in and of itself, the novel is an important early sketch, raw material to be used in building his masterpieces. In addition, the story moves at a great pace and is never boring. Overall, I found it to be quite entertaining. The novel probably is not a classic but rather quite an enjoyable story.
Is the review positive or negative? 