Gogol's famous story about Cossack fighters warring against the Poles and the tragic romance between a son of a Cossack leader and a Polish girl is not nearly as romantic or sentimental as the fine movie made of it starring Yul Brynner and Tony Curtis. Taras Bulba is a ruffian in the novel and in the film, but in the novel, he (and all the Cossacks, it seems) is nearly devoid of deep sentiment, living only for glory, drink, and bloodlust. The devastation at his son's betrayal is a large part of the drama in the film, whereas Gogol's Taras comes remarkably close to shrugging it off. But while the story may leave a sour taste in the mouths of anyone who is disenchanted by the notion of violence and drunkenness for their own sakes, this is a stirring story and a revealing window into a time and culture little known or understood by most westerners. The volume I read contained two additional short stories, "The Lost Letter" and "The Fearful Vengeance," neither of which had nearly the appeal of the story of Taras Bulba and his sons. ( )