Frases de Nikolaj Vasiljevič Gogol

„Sei que o meu nome será mais feliz do que eu.“

—  Nikolaj Vasiljevič Gogol

„Quanto mais sublimes forem as verdades mais prudência exige o seu uso; senão, de um dia para o outro, transformam-se em lugares comuns e as pessoas nunca mais acreditam nelas.“

—  Nikolaj Vasiljevič Gogol

„A única coisa que vale a pena é fixar o olhar com mais atenção no presente; o futuro chegará sozinho, inesperadamente. É tolo quem pensa no futuro antes de pensar no presente.“

—  Nikolaj Vasiljevič Gogol

„Digo que quando se tem espírito demais é pior do que não ter nenhum.“

—  Nikolaj Vasiljevič Gogol

„[Women's] boarding schools, as we know, hold the three principal subjects which constitute the basis of human virtue to be the French language (a thing indispensable to the happiness of married life), piano-playing (a thing wherewith to beguile a husband’s leisure moments), and that particular department of housewifery which is comprised in the knitting of purses and other “surprises.” Nevertheless changes and improvements have begun to take place, since things now are governed more by the personal inclinations and idiosyncracies of the keepers of such establishments. For instance, in some seminaries the regimen places piano-playing first, and the French language second, and then the above department of housewifery; while in other seminaries the knitting of “surprises” heads the list, and then the French language, and then the playing of pianos—so diverse are the systems in force!“

—  Nikolai Gogol, livro Almas Mortas

Vol. 1, ch. 2
Dead Souls (1842)

„As it is so strangely ordained in this world, what is amusing will turn into being gloomy, if you stand too long before it, and then God knows what ideas may not stray into the mind“

—  Nikolai Gogol, livro Almas Mortas

Vol. I, ch. 3
Dead Souls (1842)
Contexto: As it is so strangely ordained in this world, what is amusing will turn into being gloomy, if you stand too long before it, and then God knows what ideas may not stray into the mind... Why is it that even in moments of unthinking, careless gaiety a different and strange mood comes upon one?

„Rus! Rus! I see you, from my lovely enchanted remoteness I see you“

—  Nikolai Gogol, livro Almas Mortas

Vol. II, ch. 2
Dead Souls (1842)
Contexto: Rus! Rus! I see you, from my lovely enchanted remoteness I see you: a country of dinginess, and bleakness and dispersal; no arrogant wonders of nature crowned by the arrogant wonders of art appear within you to delight or terrify the eyes... So what is the incomprehensible secret force driving me towards you? Why do I constantly hear the echo of your mournful song as it is carried from the sea through your entire expanse?... And since you are without end yourself, is it not within you that a boundless thought will be born?

„Why do I constantly hear the echo of your mournful song as it is carried from the sea through your entire expanse?… And since you are without end yourself, is it not within you that a boundless thought will be born?“

—  Nikolai Gogol, livro Almas Mortas

Vol. II, ch. 2
Dead Souls (1842)
Contexto: Rus! Rus! I see you, from my lovely enchanted remoteness I see you: a country of dinginess, and bleakness and dispersal; no arrogant wonders of nature crowned by the arrogant wonders of art appear within you to delight or terrify the eyes... So what is the incomprehensible secret force driving me towards you? Why do I constantly hear the echo of your mournful song as it is carried from the sea through your entire expanse?... And since you are without end yourself, is it not within you that a boundless thought will be born?

„The reason why Proshka wore such large boots can be explained at once: Plyushkin kept only one pair of boots for all of his servants, however numerous they were, and they always stood in the hall.“

—  Nikolai Gogol, livro Almas Mortas

Fonte: Dead Souls (1842), Chapter VI

„When the priest went in, he stopped short at the sight of this defamation of God's holy place, and dared not serve the requiem on such a spot. And so the church was left forever, with monsters stuck in the doors and windows, was overgrown with forest trees, roots, rough grass and wild thorns, and no one can now find the way to it.“

—  Nikolai Gogol, livro Viy

"Viy" (1835)

„Russia! Russia! I see you now, from my wondrous, beautiful past I behold you! How wretched, dispersed, and uncomfortable everything is about you…“

—  Nikolai Gogol, livro Almas Mortas

Dead Souls (1842)

„The sergeant's widow told you a lie when she said I flogged her. I never flogged her. She flogged herself.“

—  Nikolai Gogol, The Government Inspector

Act IV, sc. xv
The Inspector General (1836)

„The more destruction there is everywhere, the more it shows the activity of town authorities.“

—  Nikolai Gogol, The Government Inspector

Act I, sc. i
The Inspector General (1836)

„They insist that an author should write in the strictest, purest and noblest language: in short, they expect the Russian language to drop from the clouds, already refined, and that it should come naturally to the lips, so that all they have to do is to open their mouth and stick out their tongue. It goes without saying, of course, that the feminine half of the human species is very wise; but it must be confessed that our respected readers are even wiser.“

—  Nikolai Gogol, livro Almas Mortas

Dead Souls (1842)

„Apparently that does sometimes happen. Apparently even men like Chichikov are transformed into poets for a few moments in their lives: though the word "poet" would be an exaggeration here.“

—  Nikolai Gogol, livro Almas Mortas

Fonte: Dead Souls (1842), Chapter VIII

„Oh troika, winged troika, tell me who invented you? Surely, nowhere but among a nimble nation could you have been born in a country which has taken itself in earnest and has evenly spread far and wide over half of the globe, so that once you start counting the milestones you may count on till a speckled haze dances before your eyes… Rus, are you not similar in your headlong motion to one of those nimble troikas that none can overtake? The flying road turns into smoke under you, bridges thunder and pass, all fall back and is left behind!… And what does this awesome motion mean? What is the passing strange steeds! Has the whirlwind a home in your manes?… Rus, whither are you speeding to? Answer me. No answer. The middle bell trills out in a dream its liquid soliloquy; the roaring air is torn to pieces and becomes wind; all things on earth fly by and other nations and states gaze askance as they step aside and give her the right of way.“

—  Nikolai Gogol, livro Almas Mortas

Vol. I, ch. 11
Dead Souls (1842)

„…it's not my job to preach a sermon. Art is anyhow a homily. My job is to speak in living images, not in arguments. I must exhibit life full-face, not discuss life.“

—  Nikolai Gogol

A letter to Zhukovsky, January 1848, quoted in Sculpting in Time (p49) by Andrei Tarkovsky

„Russia, are you not speeding along like a fiery and matchless troika?“

—  Nikolai Gogol, livro Almas Mortas

Fonte: Dead Souls (1842), Chapter XI

„I tell everyone very plainly that I take bribes, but what kind of bribes? Why, greyhound puppies. That's a totally different matter.“

—  Nikolai Gogol, The Government Inspector

Act I, sc. i
The Inspector General (1836)