When I read my first short story about depression written in English, in the Damrémont Writing Group in Paris, it was an opportunity to ask group members if they know books or literary works that deal with insanity in general. So this short story of Gogol popped up immediately. I was first impressed that Gogol already examined the problem of insanity in the 19th century. So, when Rafael bought the book, I was quick to borrow it and read it. Through these pages written in a diary format as the title suggest, we can see a slow decent into madness of the main protagonist. He is a civil servant in love with the daughter of his superior. Having gone through madness myself, I was stunned that some of the descriptions resonated really true. For example, his conversation with the daughter's dog is excellent. Completely nuts, but they sound very believable. However, when his mind decomposes completely, his behavior becomes more comic than tragic. I guess that was the effect for which Gogol aimed, but it is also a point where his work loses credibility.
Moreover, we are presented with the case of madness, with little clue and explanation why it occurred to this particular man. The 1830s haven't yet discovered the unconsciousness and Freud's analysis, so to pass a judgement with the contemporary eyes may be too harsh. Still, my demands are not the demands of the Gogol's century. However, it does make one curious to know how is madness treated within literature. I will definitely be compiling a reading list based on this question. Stay tuned . . .
