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'Even if he had written nothing else', Ivan Bunin wrote of Chekhov's early stories, 'we would still have said that an amazing mind had flashed through Russian literature'. His youthful work immediately established Chekhov as a leading writer of both comic and serious fiction. The humorous tales have delighted Russians since the 1880s, while the many admirers of the more serious stories include James Joyce and Katherine Mansfield. In this selection, stories withpunchy endings jostle with outrageous paradies, fracical situations, the pastoral comedy of Romance with Double-Bass, and the absurdist humour of classics such as The Death of a Civil Servant. But the volume also contains some of Chekhov's finest stories about children, 'non-love' stories like TheLittle Joke and The Kiss, the hauntingly lyrical Easter Night, and the chilling Let Me Sleep. This translation does full justice to the masterful range of the young Chekhov; for those unfamiliar with his early work this edition will be a revelation.

If any writer can be said to have invented the modern short story, it is Anton Chekhov. It is not just that Chekhov democratized this art form; more than that, he changed the thrust of short fiction from relating to revealing. And what marvelous and unbearable things are revealed in these Forty Stories. The abashed happiness of a woman in the presence of the husband who abandoned her years before. The obsequious terror of the official who accidentally sneezes on a general. The poignant astonishment of an aging Don Juan overtaken by love. Spanning the entirety of Chekhov's career and including such masterpieces as "Surgery," "The Huntsman," "Anyuta," "Sleepyhead," "The Lady With the Pet Dog," and "The Bishop," this collection manages to be amusing, dazzling, and supremely moving—often within a single page.

From the introduction to The Unknown Chekhov: At least a dozen years were to pass [after Anton Chekhov’s first short story published in English] before his tales began to gain some attention in the English-speaking world. ... [And yet] when work on the present collection was begun, scores of stories were still inaccessible in English, some of them comparable to those that have become a part of the literary heritage of the west. ... At the start of his career [Chekhov] turned out a great deal of copy for the comic papers [that] evidenced a genuine sense of fun, a satiric verve, an eye for revealing details of appearance and behavior, an ear for living speech, signs of that “talent for humanity,” compacted of understanding and compassion, which is Chekhov’s signature. ... From the first, the youthful humorist tried his hand at journalism... These breezy, gossipy, often biting paragraphs—he did not flinch from muckraking—touched on everything, from the unsanitary condition of the tenements to women’s fashions. ... Wholly unknown [in English] were Chekhov’s journalistic writings, as well as his book on the island of Sakhalin and its penal colony. The reader is offered here a selection from all of this material.

From his teenage years in provincial Russia to his premature death in 1904, Anton Chekhov wrote thousands of letters to a wide range of correspondents. This fascinating new selection tells Chekhov's story as a man and a writer through affectionate bulletins to his family, insightful discussions of literature with publishers and theater directors, and tender love letters to his actress wife. Vividly evoking landscapes, people, and his daily life, the letters offer revealing glimpses into Chekhov's preoccupations-the onset of tuberculosis, his dual careers as doctor and writer, and his ambivalence about his growing reputation as Russia's foremost playwright and author. This volume takes us inside the mind of one of the world's greatest writers, and the character that emerges from these pages is resilient, generous, charming, and life enhancing.

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's illustrious short story, 'The Bet,' is a profound examination of the human spirit, freedom, and the value of life, intertwining a narrative rich in psychological depth with a stark existential outlook. The tale's literary style deftly employs Chekhov's celebrated economy of language, where each word is a deliberate choice, evoking the transcendent and the mundane with equal potency. Set within the broader context of Russian literature, Chekhov's work is a precursor to the modernist movement, capturing the societal malaise of the late 19th century through the microcosm of individual experiences — a stark reflection on the consequences of human folly and the nature of wisdom. Renowned for his surgical precision with the written word, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov stands as one of literature's great physicians, diagnosing the ailments of the human condition with unmatched clarity and empathy. His motivation to write 'The Bet, and other stories' grew from a lifetime of observing the frailties and nuances of the human psyche, both through his medical practice and during a time in Russian history fraught with social change and philosophical introspection. Chekhov's stories are not merely narratives; they are windows into the soul, crafted by a writer deeply concerned with ethical questions and the intricacies of human nature. 'The Bet, and other stories' comes highly recommended to readers who seek a grasp of the human condition articulated with clinical precision and emotional depth. Ideal for enthusiasts of classic literature and for those interested in exploring the complexities of life and the profound choices we make, Chekhov's stories are enduring masterpieces that ponder the eternal questions of freedom, happiness, and the human capacity for change. These narratives promise to leave an indelible mark on the attentive reader, just as they have upon the canvas of world literature.

This carefully crafted ebook: "Greatest Works of Anton Chekhov" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Excerpt: "In each one of us there are too many springs, too many wheels and cogs for us to judge each other by first impressions or by two or three external indications." Ivanoff, Act 3 (1887) Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian physician, dramaturge and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. Chekhov practised as a medical doctor throughout most of his literary career. Along with Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg, Chekhov is often referred to as one of the three seminal figures in the birth of early modernism in the theatre. Chekhov had at first written stories only for financial gain, but as his artistic ambition grew, he made formal innovations which have influenced the evolution of the modern short story. He made no apologies for the difficulties this posed to readers, insisting that the role of an artist was to ask questions, not to answer them. Contents: Novel: The Shooting Party Plays: On the High Road Swan Song Ivanoff The Anniversary The Proposal The Wedding The Bear The Seagull A Reluctant Hero Uncle Vanya The Three Sisters The Cherry Orchard Short Stories: The Safety Match The Boys Grisha A Trifle from Real Life The Cook's Wedding Shrove Tuesday In Passion Week An Incident A Matter of Classics The Tutor Out of Sorts A Joke After the Theatre Volodia A Naughty Boy Bliss Two Beautiful Girls The Chorus Girl The Father of a Family The Orator Ionitch At Christmas Time In the Coach House Lady N—'s Story A Journey By Cart The Privy Councillor Rothschild's Fiddle A Horsey Name The Pecheneg The Bishop The Slanderer The Kiss Verotchka On Trial The Mass for the Dead The Privy Councillor The Runaway The Reed La Cigale The Head Gardener's Tale Oysters Women Woe Zinotchka The Princess The Muzhiks The Darling

The Undiscovered Chekhov gives us, in rich abundance, a new Chekhov. Peter Constantine's historic collection presents 38 new stories and with them a fresh interpretation of the Russian master. In contrast to the brooding representative of a dying century we have seen over and over, here is Chekhov's work from the 1880s, when Chekhov was in his twenties and his writing was sharp, witty and innovative. Many of the stories in The Undiscovered Chekhov reveal Chekhov as a keen modernist. Emphasizing impressions and the juxtaposition of incongruent elements, instead of the straight narrative his readers were used to, these stories upturned many of the assumptions of storytelling of the period. Here is "Sarah Bernhardt Comes to Town," written as a series of telegrams, beginning with "Have been drinking to Sarah's health all week! Enchanting! She actually dies standing up!..." In "Confession...," a thirty-nine year old bachelor recounts some of the fifteen times chance foiled his marriage plans. In "How I Came to be Lawfully Wed," a couple reminisces about the day they vowed to resist their parents' plans that they should marry. And in the more familiarly Chekhovian "Autumn," an alcoholic landowner fallen low and a peasant from his village meet far from home in a sad and haunting reunion in which the action of the story is far less important than the powerful impression it leaves with the reader that each man must live his life and has his reasons.

In 'The Collected Short Stories of Anton Chekhov', readers encounter the penetrating psychological insight for which Chekhov is renowned, as well as his use of understated narrative and character development. His literary craft is characterized by the poignant brevity with which he captures the vagaries of the human spirit, often reflecting the societal malaise of 19th-century Russia. Woven throughout these stories is a vivid tapestry of themes such as existential ennui, social disparity, and the pursuit of meaning within the quotidian. Chekhov's stories are exercises in subtlety; replete with complex characters and conflicted morals, his work endures as a masterclass in the short story form, set against the backdrop of a richly depicted Russian landscape and informed by his own experiences as a physician and observer of human folly. Anton Chekhov, whose life spanned the pre-revolutionary period of Russia, brings an authenticity to his narratives that is informed by his dual career as a doctor and a writer. Chekhov's medical background permeates his writing; his diagnostic eye dissects the ailments of society and the soul with clinical precision. His narratives are not structured to provide clear resolutions but to reflect the authenticity of life's unresolved tensions. His insightful examinations of the human condition were radical for his time and precursor to modern literary exploration, highlighting the ephemerality and complexity of life. This collection is an essential read for those who seek to delve into the heart of modern literary tradition and explore the intricacies of human nature. Chekhov's stories mirror life's rich tapestry - with all its fleeting joys, inherent sorrows, and the profound quietness of everyday existence. His refusal to resolve the uncomfortable questions of life renders his work timeless and deeply relatable. The book is a compelling invitation to those wishing to experience the work of a literary virtuoso who crafted stories that resonate with our own search for meaning and connection in an often incomprehensible world.

THE STORY: The action takes place at the country estate of Madame Ranevskaya, an estate famed for its beautiful cherry orchard--and soon to be sold at auction unless the delinquent taxes are paid. As the play begins Madame Ranevskaya has returned from Pari

Taken from the authoritative Oxford Chekhov, this collection features Chekhov's five greatest plays: Ivanov, The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard. An Oxford University Press World Classic.