Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, the highly acclaimed translators of War and Peace, Doctor Zhivago, and Anna Karenina, which was an Oprah Book Club pick and million-copy bestseller, bring their unmatched talents to The Selected Stories of Anton Chekhov, a collection of thirty of Chekhov’s best tales from the major periods of his creative life. Considered the greatest short story writer, Anton Chekhov changed the genre itself with his spare, impressionistic depictions of Russian life and the human condition. From characteristically brief, evocative early pieces such as “The Huntsman” and the tour de force “A Boring Story,” to his best-known stories such as “The Lady with the Little Dog” and his own personal favorite, “The Student,” Chekhov’s short fiction possesses the transcendent power of art to awe and change the reader. This monumental edition, expertly translated, is especially faithful to the meaning of Chekhov’s prose and the unique rhythms of his writing, giving readers an authentic sense of his style and a true understanding of his greatness.
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.
First published in 1973, this collection of Chekhov's correspondence is widely regarded as the best introduction to this great Russian writer. Weighted heavily toward the correspondence dealing with literary and intellectual matters, this extremely informative collection provides fascinating insight into Chekhov's development as a writer. Michael Henry Heim's excellent translation and Simon Karlinsky's masterly headnotes make this volume an essential text for anyone interested in Chekhov.
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.
Anton Chekhov's popularity in the west is without parallel for a foreign writer. He has been absorbed into our culture, and accepted as one of our own. His plays lend themselves easily to the stage, calling for actors with intelligence and common sense rather than a dramatic voice or histrionic skills.
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.
Anton Chekhov remarked toward the close of his life that people would stop reading him a year after his death. But his literary stature and popularity have grown steadily with the years, and he is accounted the single most important influence on the development of the modern short story. Edited and with an introduction by Avrahm Yarmolinsky, The Portable Chekhov presents twenty-eight of Chekhov’s best stories, chosen as particularly representative of his many-sided portrayal of the human comedy—including “The Kiss,” “The Darling,” and “In the Ravine”—as well as two complete plays; The Boor, an example of Chekhov’s earlier dramatic work, and The Cherry Orchard, his last and finest play. In addition, this volume includes a selection of letters, candidly revealing of Chekhov’s impassioned convictions on life and art, his high aspirations, his marriage, and his omnipresent compassion.
THE STORY: Trapped in a provincial Russian town after the death of their father, three sisters lament the passing of better times and long for the excitement of Moscow. One of them has married a local high school teacher; another has become a teach
These critically hailed translations of The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters and the other Chekhov plays are the only ones in English by a Russian-language scholar who is also a veteran Chekhovian actor. Without compromising the spirit of the text, Paul Schmidt accurately translates Chekhov's entire theatrical canon, rescuing the humor "lost" in most academic translations while respecting the historical context and original social climate. Schmidt's translations of Chekhov have been successfully staged all over the U.S. by such theatrical directors as Lee Strasberg, Elizabeth Swados, Peter Sellars and Robert Wilson. Critics have hailed these translations as making Chekhov fully accessible to American audiences. They are also accurate -- Schmidt has been described as "the gold standard in Russian-English translation" by Michael Holquist of the Russian department at Yale University.
In a style reminiscent of Anton Chekhov himself--realistic, intimate, and dynamic--Mikhail Chekhov shares unparalleled memories and insights, transporting readers into the world of the Chekhov family. He visits the places where his brother lived and worked and introduces the people he knew and loved, Leo Tolstoy and Piotr Tchaikovsky among them. As a unique eyewitness to the beloved writer's formative years and his artistic maturity, Mikhail Chekhov shows here first-hand the events that inspired the plots for The Seagull, The Black Monk, and The Steppe, among other enduring works. Captivating, surprising, and a joy to read, this memoir reveals the remarkable life of one the most masterful storytellers of our time.
‘In the Graveyard’ is a tale that is at once both hopeful and hopeless in which Anton Chekhov explores the tragedies of life with a comic touch. The short story opens with friends wandering a graveyard discussing a man they once knew whose ‘digestion was fine’ but still died due to his nosiness. This mixture of the mundane and the mystical which is fundamental to much of Chekhov’s celebrated writing is on display in this black comedy. As the protagonists journey deeper into the graveyard the atmosphere grows more melancholic as they meet characters resigned to tragedy. But morbidity and mockery co-exist in equal measure in the graveyard as Chekhov’s signature satirical dialogue celebrates life while exploring death. Chekhov’s modernist style describes a familiar event with lyrical prose that creates a sense of wonderment in the ordinary. This short story displays Chekhov’s dark wit and is suitable for fans of writers such as Franz Kafka or Martin McDonagh. A prolific writer of seven plays, a novel and hundreds of short stories, Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) is considered one of the best practitioners of the short story genre in literature. True to life and painfully morbid with his miserable and realistic depictions of Russian everyday life, Chekhov’s characters drift between humour, melancholy, artistic ambition, and death. Some of his best-known works include the plays 'Uncle Vanya', 'The Seagull', and 'The Cherry Orchard', where Chekhov dramatizes and portrays social and existential problems. His short stories unearth the mysterious beneath the ordinary situations, the failure and horror present in everyday life.
Welcome to the Masters of Prose book series, a selection of the best works by noteworthy authors.Literary critic August Nemo selects the most important writings of each author. A selection based on the author's novels, short stories, letters, essays and biographical texts. Thus providing the reader with an overview of the author's life and work.This edition is dedicated to the Russian writer Anton Chekhov, who is considered one of the greatest writers of short fiction in history. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics. 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 practiced as a medical doctor throughout most of his literary career: "Medicine is my lawful wife", he once said, "and literature is my mistress."This book contains the following writings:Biographical: Letters of Anton Chekhov to his family and friends, translated by Constance Garnett.Short Stories: The Lady With The Little Dog; Ward No 6; A Joke; The Darling; Kashtanka; The Black Monk; In the ravine; My Life; At a country house; The death of a government clerk; The bet; Misery; The cooks wedding; An avenger; Oysters; A Blunder.If you appreciate good literature, be sure to check out the other Tacet Books titles!
This carefully crafted ebook: "Collected Plays of Anton Chekhov (Unabridged)" 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 Pavlovich Chekhov (1860 0́31904) was a Russian physician, dramaturge and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. 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: Introduction: Biography of Anton Chekhov 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.
Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - In 1841 a serf belonging to a Russian nobleman purchased his freedom and the freedom of his family for 3,500 roubles, being at the rate of 700 roubles a soul, with one daughter, Alexandra, thrown in for nothing. The grandson of this serf was Anton Chekhov, the author; the son of the nobleman was Tchertkov, the Tolstoyan and friend of Tolstoy. There is in this nothing striking to a Russian, but to the English student it is sufficiently significant for several reasons. It illustrates how recent a growth was the educated middle-class in pre-revolutionary Russia, and it shows, what is perhaps more significant, the homogeneity of the Russian people, and their capacity for completely changing their whole way of life.
Maxim Gorky said that no one understood -- the tragedy of life's trivialities -- as clearly as Anton Chekhov, widely considered the father of the modern short story and the modern play. Chekhov's singular ability to speak volumes with a single, impeccably chosen word, mesh comedy and pathos, and capture life's basic sadness as he entertains us, are why so many aspire to emulate him. How to Write Like Chekhov meticulously cherry-picks from Chekhov's plays, stories, and letters to his publisher, brother, and friends, offering suggestions and observations on subjects including plot and characters (and their names), descriptions and dialogue, and what to emphasize and avoid. This is a uniquely clear roadmap to Chekhov's intelligence and artistic expertise and an essential addition to the writing-guide shelf.
Chekhov was a Russian who wrote short stories and plays. Plays included in this volume are The Three Sisters, The Proposal, The Wedding, The Bear, A Tragedian on Spite of Himself, and The Cherry Orchard, On the High Road, and The Anniversary. The historical content and humor of the era have been accurately translated in this work.
Assorted Collection of Autobiographical Writings of the Renowned Russian Author and Playwright of Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sisters and The Seagull
Assorted Collection of Autobiographical Writings of the Renowned Russian Author and Playwright of Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sisters and The Seagull
Musaicum Books presents to you "ANTON CHEKHOV - The Man Behind The Books: Letters, Diary, Memoirs & Biography". This eBook edition has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Excerpt: "DEAR BROTHER MISHA, I got your letter when I was fearfully bored and was sitting at the gate yawning, and so you can judge how welcome that immense letter was. Your writing is good, and in the whole letter I have not found one mistake in spelling. But one thing I don't like: why do you style yourself "your worthless and insignificant brother"? You recognize your insignificance? … Recognize it before God; perhaps, too, in the presence of beauty, intelligence, nature, but not before men. Among men you must be conscious of your dignity. Why, you are not a rascal, you are an honest man, aren't you? Well, respect yourself as an honest man and know that an honest man is not something worthless. Don't confound "being humble" with "recognizing one's worthlessness." …" (Letters of Anton Chekhov To His Family and Friends) 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. 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: Biography by Constance Garnett Autobiographical Writings: Letters of Anton Chekhov to his Family and Friends Notebook of Anton Chekhov Reminiscences of Anton Chekhov: Fragments of Recollections by Maxim Gorky A. P. Chekhov by Ivan Bunin To Chekhov's Memory by Alexander Kuprin
An introduction to and a selection of Chekhov's short stories. It includes The Lady with the Dog, The Kiss and The Darling, as well as a number of lesser-known tales.
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