Russia's first major novel, and still one of the most popular works of Russian fiction, Nikolai Gogol's Dead Souls is a comic epic of greed and gluttony that is admired not only for its colorful cast of characters and devastating satire, but also for its moral fervor.

A new translation of stories by a 19th century Russian master. One story is on a madman convinced that a dog can tell him everything he needs to know, another is on a downtrodden clerk whose life is changed by a new overcoat.

Set in the Ukraine of the 16th century, a powerful Cossack chieftain is determined to regain his land from treacherous Polish invaders. Despite bitter dissension in the ranks, he is soon leading his soldiers into savage warfare. But further conflict erupts when his headstrong son, Andrei, falls deeply in love with a Polish girl. Spectacular battle scenes highlight the nonstop action, arriving at a shattering climax in which father and son must ultimately...