Diary of a Madman
"Diary of a Madman" is short story by Russian author Nikolai Gogol. It consists of entries from a madman, the madman in this case being Poprishchin, a 40 year old titular counsellor who serves as an assistant to the director of his division, a job consisting mostly of sharpening quills. He entertains delusions of self-importance, holding great pride in being officially a nobleman. He has fallen in love with the director's daughter, and desires to be noticed by her.
 Poprishchin | |
| Original Title: | Записки сумасшедшего |
|---|---|
| Written by: | Nikolai Gogol |
| Central Theme: | |
| Synopsis: | The diary of a minor civil servant descending into madness |
| Genre(s): | Farce |
| First published: | 1835 |
One day, while walking to work, he encounters the director's carriage, carrying his daughter to the store. While observing, he hears a voice, which he discovers to be that of the dogs. The rest of the story details his descent into madness, told through the entries of his diary.
A planned Animated Adaptation in the 1970s never materialised, but the narration by Kenneth Williams was later turned into a radio play by The BBC.
Absolutely no relation to the 1963 Vincent Price horror film.
- Bedlam House: Poprishchin's eventual fate.
- Mood Whiplash: Mostly funny. And then it ends with him sobbing in a heap.
- Sanity Slippage: The story details this, as Poprishchin's grip on reality continues to slip, eventually resulting in him believing himself the heir to the Spanish throne.
- Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes: Poprishchin's a definite Type I, a complete failure in every regard.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Poprishchin, who thinks he is a person of some importance, when, well, he isn't.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: Poprishchin's first delusion is that he can understand the talks of dogs, and later the letters they write each other.
- Through the Eyes of Madness: It's the diary of a madman.