I suspect that, based on prevailing theory and practice, many would regard Nikolai Gogol’s Petersburg Tales (written nearly 200 years ago) as an example of how not to write short stories. And with some justification.
There are four in the collection, each of them surreal and comic in equal measure, and – given modern sensibilities – somewhat clumsy. Having said that, I did find the final story, “Diary of a Madman”, compelling. I think this is because Gogol sticks to a rigid format (the diary entry) which both confines how the story can be told, and prevents the ‘wandering off’ so prevalent in the earlier stories.
It is an enigmatic collection which is difficult to wholeheartedly recommend – but if you get the chance to read “Dairy of a Madman” you should take it…
Ian Gouge - Writer 