Мертві душі

           Thebooksinquestionweredividedintosections—asectiononforestry,asectiononcattle-breeding,asectionontheraisingofswine,andasectiononhorticulture,togetherwithspecialjournalsofthetypecirculatedmerelyforthepurposesofreference,andnotforgeneralreading.Perceivingthattheseworkswerescarcelyofakindcalculatedtowhileawayanidlehour,Chichikovturnedtoasecondbookcase.Buttodosowastofalloutofthefrying-panintothefire,forthecontentsofthesecondbookcaseprovedtobeworksonphilosophy,while,inparticular,sixhugevolumesconfrontedhimunderalabelinscribed“APreparatoryCoursetotheProvinceofThought,withtheTheoryofCommunityofEffort,Co-operation,andSubsistence,initsApplicationtoaRightUnderstandingoftheOrganicPrinciplesofaMutualDivisionofSocialProductivity.”Indeed,wheresoeverChichikovlooked,everypagepresentedtohisvisionsomesuchwordsas“phenomenon,”“development,”“abstract,”“contents,”and“synopsis.”“Thisisnotthesortofthingforme,”hemurmured,andturnedhisattentiontoathirdbookcase,whichcontainedbooksontheArts.Extractingahugetomeinwhichsomebynomeansreticentmythologicalillustrationswerecontained,hesethimselftoexaminethesepictures.Theywereofthekindwhichpleasesmostlymiddle-agedbachelorsandoldmenwhoareaccustomedtoseekintheballetandsimilarfrivolitiesafurtherspurtotheirwaningpassions.