A Chekhov Circus

A guide to the short stories of Anton Chekhov

Category: Novella

No. 19 – Three Years

For a reader attempting to dig through the entire 13 volumes of Constance Garnett’s translations of Chekhov’s stories and novellas, “Three Years” is an extraordinarily satisfying conclusion to the first volume. A novella, it is not only the best and richest story in the volume, it also touches on many of the themes and motifs…

October 17, 2022
No. 97 – In the Ravine

A family saga of a thieving, conniving clan of merchants in a factory town.

October 17, 2022
No. 155 – The Steppe

A boy travels from his home on the steppe to a new city, accompanied by a variety of fellow travelers.

October 13, 2022
No. 161 – The Wife

A retired engineer in a loveless marriage decides to raise money to help the local peasantry during a famine.

October 13, 2022
No. 139 – My Life

Unwilling to live the way his rich father has, a man becomes a simple laborer.

October 8, 2022
No. 68 – The Duel

In a languid seaside town, a mutual dislike festers and turns into a violent confrontation.

October 8, 2022
No. 82 – An Anonymous Story

A political operative goes undercover as a rich man’s servant but finds himself drawn into the man’s life.

October 8, 2022
No. 127 – A Dreary Story

A retired professor looks back on his life and that of his adoptive daughter.

October 8, 2022
No. 148 – Lights

An engineer recalls a misbegotten love affair that forced him to become a better person.

October 7, 2022