As a literary theme, the nose had been treated by Russian authors at least ever since the translation, completed in 1807, of Laurence Sterne's "Tristram Shandy", in which the subject of noses is elaborately dealt with, especially in "Slawkenbergius's Tale". Noses, and even heads, which run about on their own, which disappear and then return, which are even baked in bread (as in Part I of Gogol's story), are to be found in Russian literature of the 1820s and 1830s. Out of these works, Gogol's is the most famous because it presents an absurd tale that not only serves as social commentary, but also as a comedic tale for all ages.