Pershyy v ukrayinskiy literaturi roman pro Odesu, yaku Nechuy-Levytskyy nazivaye v cholovichomu rodi — Odes. Yogo kosmopolitychna, kupeytska, epikureysʹka Odesa — tse prostir dlya lyubovi, zabavy, krasu ta spozhyvannya. Na tsomu tli rozgortayutsya dva ideyni konflity: natsionalʹna kulʹtura proty kosmopolityzmu ta idealizm proty spozhyvatstva y materyalyzmu. Intelektualʹno roman zoseredzheno na pytanni rozvytku ukrayinskoyi identychnosti, a za syuzhetom tse kilʹkа lyubovnykh istoriy. Pysʹmennyk ukotre vystupaye yak zakhysnyk zhinochykh prav. A pro te naybilshe zapamyatayutsya z tvory opysy krayevydiv nad Chornym morem ta vzayemyny mizh lyudmy — prostymy, smishnymy y vichno zhyvymy, shcho yikh podaryv nam veselyy Nechuy.