Shinel (meaning The Overcoat, or Greatcoat) - which is generally acknowledged as the finest of Gogol's memorable Saint Petersburg stories - is the tale of absurd and misplaced obsessions. Its petty and pathetic hero, Akakii Akakievich, has become one of the emblematic figures of Russian literature. With its idiosyncratic skaz style, its grotesque characterisation and its mixture of black humour and pathos, this work continues to attract avid critical attention.