_Dead Souls_ charts the nefarious dealings of Chichikov, a member of the middle aristocracy in a time when serfs were considered the property of landowners, who could buy, sell, or mortgage them. Chichikov concocts a scheme to purchase ownership of deceased male serfs in order to create an illusion of increased wealth against which he intends to borrow. A master of the absurd with a gift for hilarious satire, in _Dead Souls_ Gogol offers a wildly entertaining tale that simultaneously excoriates the ailing social system of his day. Originally intended as a three-volume work styled after Dante's _Divine Comedy, _ Gogol burned much of volume two. The novel, nonetheless, is considered by many to be a finished work and Gogol's masterpiece.This unique Warbler Press edition includes an extensive biographical timeline.