The Beauties: Essential Stories

by Anton Chekhov, Nicolas Slater Pasternak (Translator)

"The Essential Stories of Anton Chekhov" is a captivating collection that brings together some of the most remarkable and beloved works by the acclaimed Russian writer Anton Chekhov. This anthology showcases Chekhov's unparalleled talent for depicting the complexities of human nature, the intricacies of relationships, and the nuances of everyday life.Each story in this collection is a testament to Chekhov's unparalleled ability to capture the subtlest emotions and psychological depths of his characters. Whether portraying the despair of unrequited love, the quiet desperation of unfulfilled dreams, or the bittersweet joys of fleeting moments, Chekhov's prose resonates with authenticity and profound insight.With its richly descriptive language and astute observations of human behavior, "The Beauties" offers readers a chance to immerse themselves in Chekhov's world—a world that is at once familiar and yet filled with unexpected revelations. Through his stories, Chekhov invites us to contemplate the complexities of the human condition, the fleeting nature of happiness, and the universal yearning for connection and understanding.This collection is not only an ideal introduction to Chekhov's work for those new to his writings, but also a treasured addition to the libraries of avid Chekhov enthusiasts. "The Essential Stories of Anton Chekhov" is a testament to the enduring power of his storytelling, cementing his status as one of the greatest literary voices of all BEAUTIESTHE SCHOOLMISTRESSA NERVOUS BREAKDOWNMISERYCHAMPAGNEAFTER THE THEATREA LADY’S STORYIN EXILETHE CATTLE-DEALERSSORROWON OFFICIAL DUTYTHE FIRST-CLASS PASSENGERA TRAGIC ACTORA TRANSGRESSIONSMALL FRYTHE REQUIEM

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Russia

224 pages, Paperback

Published September 12, 2023

About the author

Antón Chéjov (Spanish)

Dramas, such as The Seagull (1896, revised 1898), and including "A Dreary Story" (1889) of Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, also Chekov, concern the inability of humans to communicate.

Born ( Антон Павлович Чехов ) in the small southern seaport of Taganrog, the son of a grocer. His grandfather, a serf, bought his own freedom and that of his three sons in 1841. He also taught to read. A cloth merchant fathered Yevgenia Morozova, his mother.

"When I think back on my childhood," Chekhov recalled, "it all seems quite gloomy to me." Tyranny of his father, religious fanaticism, and long nights in the store, open from five in the morning till midnight, shadowed his early years. He attended a school for Greek boys in Taganrog from 1867 to 1868 and then Taganrog grammar school. Bankruptcy of his father compelled the family to move to Moscow. At the age of 16 years in 1876, independent Chekhov for some time alone in his native town supported through private tutoring.

In 1879, Chekhov left grammar school and entered the university medical school at Moscow. In the school, he began to publish hundreds of short comics to support his mother, sisters and brothers. Nicholas Leikin published him at this period and owned Oskolki (splinters), the journal of Saint Petersburg. His subjected silly social situations, marital problems, and farcical encounters among husbands, wives, mistresses, and lust; even after his marriage, Chekhov, the shy author, knew not much of whims of young women.

Nenunzhaya pobeda , first novel of Chekhov, set in 1882 in Hungary, parodied the novels of the popular Mór Jókai. People also mocked ideological optimism of Jókai as a politician.

Chekhov graduated in 1884 and practiced medicine. He worked from 1885 in Peterburskaia gazeta.

In 1886, Chekhov met H.S. Suvorin, who invited him, a regular contributor, to work for Novoe vremya, the daily paper of Saint Petersburg. He gained a wide fame before 1886. He authored The Shooting Party , his second full-length novel, later translated into English. Agatha Christie used its characters and atmosphere in later her mystery novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd . First book of Chekhov in 1886 succeeded, and he gradually committed full time. The refusal of the author to join the ranks of social critics arose the wrath of liberal and radical intelligentsia, who criticized him for dealing with serious social and moral questions but avoiding giving answers. Such leaders as Leo Tolstoy and Nikolai Leskov, however, defended him. "I'm not a liberal, or a conservative, or a gradualist, or a monk, or an indifferentist. I should like to be a free artist and that's all..." Chekhov said in 1888.

The failure of The Wood Demon , play in 1889, and problems with novel made Chekhov to withdraw from literature for a period. In 1890, he traveled across Siberia to Sakhalin, remote prison island. He conducted a detailed census of ten thousand convicts and settlers, condemned to live on that harsh island. Chekhov expected to use the results of his research for his doctoral dissertation. Hard conditions on the island probably also weakened his own physical condition. From this journey came his famous travel book.

Chekhov practiced medicine until 1892. During these years, Chechov developed his concept of the dispassionate, non-judgmental author. He outlined his program in a letter to his brother Aleksandr: "1. Absence of lengthy verbiage of political-social-economic nature; 2. total objectivity; 3. truthful descriptions of persons and objects; 4. extreme brevity; 5. audacity and originality; flee the stereotype; 6. compassion." Because he objected that the paper conducted against [a:Alfred Dreyfu

Reviews

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never would have appreciated these growing up, but as an adult, it was just such a wonderful experience reading these short stories. They will stay with me for life.

[Jane Fudger · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Beauties is a collection of short stories around the theme of beauty, romance and marital neglect.Each tale ranges from the comic to profound, written in a language that is subtle and tender Despite this I found the tales of average quality - whether this is due to the translation I am not sure but they did not seem as robust and entertaining aspect as his plays
Idid like a couple of his stories"The Man in a Box" and "The Kiss" but the rest were rather superfical and predictable. Many people describe Chekov as the father of the modern day short story but bI am not so sure. Although he wrote short stories throughout his life I stlll feel his plays were more successful.

[Andrew Swenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading Chekhov. He’s very slice of lifey, and deep in a very subtle way. Some of the stories were pretty boring tbh but they still made me feel a nice sense of groudneness. Others explored pretty interesting themes (I’m thinking of “the kiss” in particular) but again in a very personal-oriented way.

I also found his humor pretty funny (the guy just running into crowds and breaking them up for no reason was hilarious), and his environmental descriptions added to the setting of the stories in a good way.

[Debs Lester · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I bought this book, for some reason, I didn't notice it made up of short stories. That said, it didn't spoil my enjoyment of some of them. I like the general theme of beautiful, almost untouchable women in every story and men who never quite get their pretty maids. Loved the philosophical lens and men being in love with love. Also, I liked the depth of feeling men showed, kept deep inside, but certainly felt to the point of pain. Good, but not brilliant book

[George Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little collection of heaters. Chekhov’s plays always have such a cynical bite to them so I was surprised to see that in his prose he often allows himself to detour into straightforward romanticism. Even in the bleaker of these stories (The Kiss, Lady+Dog) he seems to have great empathy for his characters, and while he ribs them he does it gently. Also just neat to see short stories presented in such a solid, mostly linear way.

[Ravi Sinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice palate-cleanser between more daunting, more intense tomes. Takes you to a different, simpler time - late 19th century Russian countryside. Not all the short stories are equally punchy; some end rather abruptly and some never get deep. But given that Chekhov only lived for 44 years, he still deserves credit for penning these stories and other books. The language feels awkward sometimes - it's neither modern English nor classical - maybe an artifact of the translation.

[Heman Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first time reading Chekhov. This book felt a lot shorter than it was and I'm saying this in a good way. While thoroughly unconnected by plot, the short stories in this book all touch on the "beauties" in life and highlight Checkhov's ability as a writer to say so much about such a complex idea within such short stories.

I will be looking forward to reading more Checkhov this year.

[Eleanora Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these in both English and Russian - both of which were endlessly rewarding experiences. Chekhov taps into the human experience with a certain lightness that recognizes the beauty within it without reducing the pain with eloquence, brevity (I'm lookin' at you, Dostoevsky), and wit.

[Margaret Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite stories were Grief, A Misfortune, and The Lady with the Little Dog

[Euan Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

d.r.y

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

13 stories:

The Beauties
The Man in a Box
A Day in the Country
A Blunder
About Love
Grief
The Bet
A Misfortune
Sergeant Prishibeyev
The Lady with the Little Dog
The Huntsman
The Privy Councillor
The Kiss

[Patrick Ma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, Mr. Chekhov! (Would it have killed you to write at least one story with a happy ending?)

[Hadeel · Rating 2 out of 5]

***some*** beauty, super dry

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and 1/2 stars out of 5 for this collection of short stories.

[Ryan Coulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable

[Jeffrey Powanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many collections of Chekhov stories, but this is a really good one, with a selection of 13 stories translated by Nicolas Pasternak Slater. All of the stories are remarkable, but my favorites are "The Lady with the Little Dog” (Chekhov’s most anthologized story), “The Bet," and "The Kiss." There's an elusiveness to these spare and impressionistic stories; you can never quite pin Chekhov down to a specific authorial point of view. But there are astonishing moments of passion, boredom, anger, remorse, happiness, and misery, in short, the moods that people experience in real life. Chekhov's stories seem to capture reality while carefully avoiding phoniness or pretension.

Although I enjoyed this slim volume immensely, Chekhov wrote more than 500 stories, and many other Chekhov stories are available on Project Gutenberg. I'll download the Project Gutenberg compilation and sample its stories for the remainder of my life.

[Bill Comfortable · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lot to love in this book. Highlights for me are “The Bet,” “The Kiss,” and “The Lady with the Little Dog.” Not sure how to rank these translations compared to other Chekhov translations, but they definitely did the trick, and the stories shine.