Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol was a Russian author and playwright who is considered one of the most influential figures in 19th-century Russian literature. He is best known for his short stories, such as "The Overcoat" and "The Nose," which are often seen as precursors to modern absurdist and surrealist literature. Gogol's works often explore themes of the grotesque, the supernatural, and the absurd, as well as satire and dark humor. He was also a major influence on later authors such as Fyodor Dostoevsky and Vladimir Nabokov.
