How does Nikolai Gogol use imagery in The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol?

As one gets deeply into this collection of short stories, one appreciates Gogol's humor and use of descriptive phrasing to help the reader visualize the characters and objects. He uses phrases like "a nose like a red plum" or "stocky with arms like potatoes growingout of his side." The images are funny and the phrases are effective. The book is a translation from old Russian to English. Although the translation is no doubt excellent, there will always be some meaning lost in translation.