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No. 25 – The Lady with the Dog
Here it is, Chekhov’s best-known story. If you, an American reader, have ever read any selection of Chekhov tales, this one was almost certainly included in your volume. I, too, had read “The Lady With the Dog” (probably more than once) and my hazy, warm memories of it were the main reason that I thought…
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No. 29 – Ariadne
This is a brilliant story about a romantic, shallow young man, Shamohin, who is lovesick for his beautiful neighbor, the cold and manipulative (and equally shallow) Ariadne. Shamohin trails pathetically after Ariadne and her lover to Italy, and even lends them money that neither he nor his father can afford to give away. Having longed…
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No. 30 – Peasants
From a modern perspective, “Peasants” is problematic, and it’s worth digging into why that is before looking at the novella itself. First of all, the title. Using a title like “Peasants” is like calling a story set in the Hasidic community “Jews,” or one set in Kentucky “Rednecks.” Obviously you can’t apply modern sensibilities to…
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No. 41 – At Home
You could easily fill a book of Chekhov stories set on the steppe, the dreary, endless grasslands that stretch across much of Russia. “At Home” is the tale of a young woman, Vera, who after receiving an education in a distant city, returns to her family’s decaying property on the steppe. There’s nothing for her…
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No. 195 – The Black Monk
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No. 113 – A Nervous Breakdown
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No. 163 – A Murder
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No. 152 – The Cattle Dealers
This is a long story, practically a novella, that is more reportage than fiction. Written in the present tense like a news article, the story concerns the transport of a herd of cattle via rail. The story details the various difficulties of transporting and selling cattle, and in particular the challenges involved in cajoling (and…
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No. 149 – The Teacher of Literature
A Chekhov Circus
A guide to the short stories of Anton Chekhov
A Chekhov Circus 