The Nose

Nikolai Gogol · 1809–1852 · Ukraine / Russia

Originally Nos (Russian)

Why it matters

A St Petersburg official wakes to find his nose has fled his face and taken up a superior post around town, outranking him in a grander uniform. Gogol's purest absurdist tale offers no explanation and needs none.

At a glance

A short, deadpan tale whose absurdity requires no unpacking, just a tolerance for nonsense.