Normally a sober man, Strizhin has a few drinks at a christening party and, once home, feels the need to keep the alcohol pouring, so he sneaks into the cabinet of Dashenka, his mingy, unmarried, and elderly sister-in-law, for a quick nip of vodka. But – horrors! – what he imbibes is not vodka after all but paraffin.
In a panic, he begs for help from Dashenka, but she is more inclined to lecture him for sneaking into her belongings.
This is a pretty broad little story, albeit well told. No one dies; no one cries. It’s an entertainment, and pretty entertaining at that.
READ THIS? READ THAT!
Among the many Chekhov stories involving drink and drunkenness, “An Inadvertence” is probably the gentlest–and the funniest. Another relatively gentle drinking tale is “Gone Astray.” It’s not as funny, though.
A Chekhov Circus 