Gogol is one of the early legends of Russian literature, and an inspiration for later internationally renowned authors such as *Tolstoy|/author/leotolstoy*, *Chekhov|/author/antonchekhov* and *Dostoevsky|/author/fyodordostoevsky*.
Like all Russian works, his stories are sometimes tragic, sometimes absurd and sometimes both. They are critical of man and society, focusing on dissecting Russian society.