The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol
The play is a satirical comedy that exposes the corruption and foolishness of the bureaucracy in a small Russian town. When officials mistake a lowly civil servant for a feared government inspector traveling incognito, they fall over themselves to cover up their town's numerous misdeeds. The visitor exploits the situation for personal gain, accepting bribes and enjoying the sycophantic hospitality of the town's officials, who are oblivious to his true identity. The story unfolds with a series of comedic misunderstandings and ironic twists, culminating in a final revelation that leaves the townspeople facing the consequences of their deception and moral laxity.
The 1666th greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1836
- Nationality
- Russian
- Type
- Fiction
- Pages
- Unknown
- Words
- 23,000
- Original Language
- Russian
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following lists:
- 27th on The Main Works of Russian literature (Polka Academy)
- 40th on From Oedipus to The History Boys: Michael Billington's 101 greatest plays (The Guardian)
- 63rd on The Drama 100 - A Ranking of the Greatest Plays of All Time (Book)
- The 40 best plays of all time (Independent)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)