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The Prank: The Best of Young Chekhov
Twelve early comedic short stories by the Russian master of the form.
An NYRB Classics Original
The Prank is Chekhov’s own selection of the best of his early work, the first book he put together and the first book he hoped to publish. Assembled in 1882, with illustrations by Nikolay Chekhov, the book was then presented to the censor for approval—which was denied. Now, more than a hundred and thirty years later, The Prank appears here for the first time in any language.
At the start of his twenties, when he was still in medical school, Anton Chekhov was also busily setting himself up as a prolific and popular writer. Appearing in a wide range of periodicals, his shrewd, stinging, funny stories and sketches turned a mocking eye on the mating rituals and money-grubbing habits of the middle classes, the pretensions of aspiring artists and writers, bureaucratic corruption, drunken clowning, provincial ignorance, petty cruelty—on Russian life, in short. Chekhov was already developing his distinctive ear for spoken language, its opacities and evasions, the clichés we shelter behind and the clichés that betray us. The lively stories in The Prank feature both the themes and the characteristic tone that make Chekhov among the most influential and beloved of modern writers.
An NYRB Classics Original
The Prank is Chekhov’s own selection of the best of his early work, the first book he put together and the first book he hoped to publish. Assembled in 1882, with illustrations by Nikolay Chekhov, the book was then presented to the censor for approval—which was denied. Now, more than a hundred and thirty years later, The Prank appears here for the first time in any language.
At the start of his twenties, when he was still in medical school, Anton Chekhov was also busily setting himself up as a prolific and popular writer. Appearing in a wide range of periodicals, his shrewd, stinging, funny stories and sketches turned a mocking eye on the mating rituals and money-grubbing habits of the middle classes, the pretensions of aspiring artists and writers, bureaucratic corruption, drunken clowning, provincial ignorance, petty cruelty—on Russian life, in short. Chekhov was already developing his distinctive ear for spoken language, its opacities and evasions, the clichés we shelter behind and the clichés that betray us. The lively stories in The Prank feature both the themes and the characteristic tone that make Chekhov among the most influential and beloved of modern writers.
144 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2015
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471 people want to read
About the author
Anton Chekhov
5,895 books9,766 followers
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
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
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December 27, 2015
Introduction
A Note on the Translation
--Artists' Wives
--Papa
--St. Peter's Day
--Chase Two Rabbits, Catch None
--A Confession, or, Olya, Zhenya, Zoya (A Letter)
--A Sinner from Toledo
--The Temperaments (Based on the Latest Scientific Findings)
--Flying Islands by Jules Verne (A Parody)
--Before the Wedding
--A Letter to a Learned Neighbor
--In the Train Car
--1,001 Passions, or, A Dreadful Night (A Timid Imitation of Victor Hugo)
Notes
A Note on the Translation
--Artists' Wives
--Papa
--St. Peter's Day
--Chase Two Rabbits, Catch None
--A Confession, or, Olya, Zhenya, Zoya (A Letter)
--A Sinner from Toledo
--The Temperaments (Based on the Latest Scientific Findings)
--Flying Islands by Jules Verne (A Parody)
--Before the Wedding
--A Letter to a Learned Neighbor
--In the Train Car
--1,001 Passions, or, A Dreadful Night (A Timid Imitation of Victor Hugo)
Notes
August 22, 2015
This collection of all-new stories by the young Anton Chekhov published this summer by New York Review of Books @nyrb reveals an artist desperate to make a living. He was twenty-two years old and collected these stories hoping to launch his career, but they were never published. Illustrated by Nikolay Chekhov, Anton’s older brother, it was censored before it could come out.
When you read the stories you may be surprised, as I was, at what the censors deemed subversive. The stories are broad comedy, slapstick satires, and absurd parodies of Jules Verne and Victor Hugo. The story “St Peter’s Day” reminds me of Jerome Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat, it is so filled with manly boasting and ridiculously goofy repartee. But there is a razor streak of criticism in there and Chekhov gives no quarter. An old peasant accompanying a hunting party drifts off while the other men, middle class and aspiring, buffoonishly discuss where to avoid other rotters who were meanwhile taking the best spots. I kept expecting the old peasant to show up with a hunting bag full while the others expounded, but he never did. The others just left him there.
Translator Maria Bloshsteyn in the Introduction puts these early stories into a perspective that includes Chekhov’s later works. The old peasant left by the hunting party, Bloshsteyn tells us, appears again in Chekhov’s last play The Cherry Orchard. And the social critique of marriage, Russian life, and social strictures that appears in “Artists’ Wives” and “The Temperaments” foreshadows all of Chekhov’s work. A quick look through The Complete Plays by Chekhov, translated and annotated by Laurence Senelick (2006) shows only the late plays of Chekhov not to be “comedic anarchy.” When Chekhov dropped the broad humor for his late plays, his work still had bite but was even more damaging than his humor. “Uncle Vanya,” for instance, exhibits many of the broad categories of personality shown in his early stories but seems almost despairing.
A quote of Chekhov’s chosen for the cover of the above-mentioned collected plays shows his resistance to government interference in daily life:
In “Artists’ Wives,” a short story in The Prank, Chekhov takes a swipe at those living the bohemian life, which included himself:
In “The Temperaments (Based on the Latest Scientific Findings)” Chekhov describes the “humours” of man, that is to say, how the “Sanguine Temperament in a Male” exhibits:
In “Papa,” the mother of a son failing in school sounds remarkably current:
Anyway, this is Chekhov unbound, young, exuberant, and silly. His parody of Jules Verne is classic while the one of Victor Hugo sounds more like Chekhov than Hugo. It may have been the translation he had, no? This is Chekhov’s take:
When you read the stories you may be surprised, as I was, at what the censors deemed subversive. The stories are broad comedy, slapstick satires, and absurd parodies of Jules Verne and Victor Hugo. The story “St Peter’s Day” reminds me of Jerome Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat, it is so filled with manly boasting and ridiculously goofy repartee. But there is a razor streak of criticism in there and Chekhov gives no quarter. An old peasant accompanying a hunting party drifts off while the other men, middle class and aspiring, buffoonishly discuss where to avoid other rotters who were meanwhile taking the best spots. I kept expecting the old peasant to show up with a hunting bag full while the others expounded, but he never did. The others just left him there.
Translator Maria Bloshsteyn in the Introduction puts these early stories into a perspective that includes Chekhov’s later works. The old peasant left by the hunting party, Bloshsteyn tells us, appears again in Chekhov’s last play The Cherry Orchard. And the social critique of marriage, Russian life, and social strictures that appears in “Artists’ Wives” and “The Temperaments” foreshadows all of Chekhov’s work. A quick look through The Complete Plays by Chekhov, translated and annotated by Laurence Senelick (2006) shows only the late plays of Chekhov not to be “comedic anarchy.” When Chekhov dropped the broad humor for his late plays, his work still had bite but was even more damaging than his humor. “Uncle Vanya,” for instance, exhibits many of the broad categories of personality shown in his early stories but seems almost despairing.
A quote of Chekhov’s chosen for the cover of the above-mentioned collected plays shows his resistance to government interference in daily life:
”My holy of holies is the human body, health, intelligence, talent, inspiration, love, and the most absolute freedom imaginable, freedom from violence and lies, no matter what form the latter two take.”Chekhov trained as a doctor in the 1880s. During his residency he began publishing short humorous pieces in magazines as he was the economic mainstay of his extended family. Knowing of his extensive education adds to our enjoyment of his snide observations, and may explain the quote in which he expresses "the human body" and "health" first among his holy of holies.
In “Artists’ Wives,” a short story in The Prank, Chekhov takes a swipe at those living the bohemian life, which included himself:
”Madam Tanner’s vice consisted of eating like a normal human being. This vice of his wife’s struck Tanner to his very heart. 'I will reeducate her!' he said. Once he set himself that goal, he got to work on Madame Tanner. First he weaned her off breakfasts and suppers, and then off tea, A year after her marriage, Madame Tanner was preparing one course for dinner instead of four. Two years after her marriage, she learned to be satisfied with unbelievably small amounts of food. Namely, during the course of twenty-four hours, she would ingest the following quantities of nourishing substances:
1 gram of salts
5 grams of protein
2 grams of fat
7 grams of water (distilled)
1 1/23 grams of Hungarian wine
Total: 16 1/23 grams
We do not include gases here because science is not yet able to determine accurately the quantities of gases that we take in."
In “The Temperaments (Based on the Latest Scientific Findings)” Chekhov describes the “humours” of man, that is to say, how the “Sanguine Temperament in a Male” exhibits:
“The Sanguine male is readily influenced by all his experiences, which is the cause…of his frivolity…he is rude to teachers, doesn’t get haircuts, doesn’t shave, wears glasses, and scribbles on walls. He is a bad student but manages to graduate…”We read on for two pages and then get the description of “Sanguine Temperament in a Female.”
“The sanguine female is the most bearable of women, at least when not stupid.”That’s all. We learn about the “Choleric Temperament” (“the choleric man is bilious with a yellow-gray face…” and “the choleric female is a devil in a skirt…”), the “Phlegmatic Temperament” (“the phlegmatic male is a likable man…”), and the “Melancholic Temperament,” none of which reassure us that human life is worth the resources needed to sustain it.
In “Papa,” the mother of a son failing in school sounds remarkably current:
”Papa, go to the math teacher and tell him to give the boy a good grade. Tell him that he knows his math but that his health is poor. That’s why he can’t cater to everyone’s whims. Force him to do it!”In “Before the Wedding,” a father speaks with his daughter, the bride to be:
”And, my daughter…European civilization got women thinking that the more children a woman has, the worse for her. How wrong! It’s a lie! The more children, the merrier! No, wait! It’s just the opposite! My mistake, sweetie. Less children—that’s what it is. I read it in some journal the other day—something someone named Malthus came up with.”
Anyway, this is Chekhov unbound, young, exuberant, and silly. His parody of Jules Verne is classic while the one of Victor Hugo sounds more like Chekhov than Hugo. It may have been the translation he had, no? This is Chekhov’s take:
”Then thunder rolled. She fell upon my chest. A man’s chest—it is a woman’s fortress. I clasped her in my embrace. Both of us cried out. Her bones cracked. A galvanic current ran through our bodies. A passionate kiss…”I put a couple pictures of the illustrations in my blogpost.
August 14, 2016
Satires, send-ups, tales of student life, artistic ambition, hunting parties, troubled families, love and betrayal, these twelve stories, accompanied by Nikolay’s illustrations, display the zest, energy, humor, and unsparing insight that were Chekhov’s from the start.
A depiction of Russian life through humor, candor with a subtle gritty rawness, innuendo only the talented Chekhov achieves with intellectual insight. Descriptive and original, full of verve, relationships paraded with their flaws. Quite entertaining, I’m biased given I am a huge Chekov fan and of Russian literature in general, a favorite genre. Entertaining collection of twelve short stories, all appealing.
Artists Wives
A satire on Russian bohemian lifestyle from an artist apartment complex. Funny.
Papa
Addresses corruption of Russian society as a father attempts to bribe his sons arithmetic teacher for a passing grade.
St Peters Day
A hunting trip with an eclectic group of men. The harsh treatment towards others demonstrated, social class explored.
A depiction of Russian life through humor, candor with a subtle gritty rawness, innuendo only the talented Chekhov achieves with intellectual insight. Descriptive and original, full of verve, relationships paraded with their flaws. Quite entertaining, I’m biased given I am a huge Chekov fan and of Russian literature in general, a favorite genre. Entertaining collection of twelve short stories, all appealing.
Artists Wives
A satire on Russian bohemian lifestyle from an artist apartment complex. Funny.
Papa
Addresses corruption of Russian society as a father attempts to bribe his sons arithmetic teacher for a passing grade.
St Peters Day
A hunting trip with an eclectic group of men. The harsh treatment towards others demonstrated, social class explored.
May 21, 2015
These short stories have been collected and published in one volume for the first time and this collection also features two stories that have never before been translated into English. The book includes an index in which the original publication is mentioned for each story as well as any changes that Chekhov made to each narrative before final publication.
The collection is a humorous and sarcastic commentary on Russian life in the 19th century; Chekhov particularly likes to poke fun at relationships and marriage. In “The Artist’s Wives,” various types of creative men are featured, including a painter, a novelist and a sculptor, all of whom have trouble controlling their pesky spouses.
Secret lovers, dark humor and narcissism all play a role in the marriages that Chekhov describes. In “Before the Wedding,” a mother is giving her newly engaged daughter advice about marriage. She has a long list of complaints about her own husband and tells her daughter, “Marriage is something only single girls like but there’s nothing good about it.”
My favorite story is the one entitled “A Confession” in which a man is writing a letter to his friend to explain why, after 39 years, he is still a bachelor. He has a few interesting stories about various engagements to women that are foiled because of ridiculous reasons which include a biting gosling, bad writing and hiccups.
Read more of my reviews as: www.thebookbindersdaughter.com
The New York Review of books Classics has given us another brilliant and funny collection of translated short stories. If you are interested in trying to read Russian literature, THE PRANK is a great work with which to start.
The collection is a humorous and sarcastic commentary on Russian life in the 19th century; Chekhov particularly likes to poke fun at relationships and marriage. In “The Artist’s Wives,” various types of creative men are featured, including a painter, a novelist and a sculptor, all of whom have trouble controlling their pesky spouses.
Secret lovers, dark humor and narcissism all play a role in the marriages that Chekhov describes. In “Before the Wedding,” a mother is giving her newly engaged daughter advice about marriage. She has a long list of complaints about her own husband and tells her daughter, “Marriage is something only single girls like but there’s nothing good about it.”
My favorite story is the one entitled “A Confession” in which a man is writing a letter to his friend to explain why, after 39 years, he is still a bachelor. He has a few interesting stories about various engagements to women that are foiled because of ridiculous reasons which include a biting gosling, bad writing and hiccups.
Read more of my reviews as: www.thebookbindersdaughter.com
The New York Review of books Classics has given us another brilliant and funny collection of translated short stories. If you are interested in trying to read Russian literature, THE PRANK is a great work with which to start.
Read
April 7, 2023funny, short, satirical stories! king of a lil’ dramatic irony. probably missed a lot because I am not well versed in 19th c russian culture and the popular writing of the day he satirizes, but the introduction was good and there were helpful notes in the back. I love having multiple tabs in a book.
-favorites: papa; st. peter’s day; chase two rabbits, catch none
-favorites: papa; st. peter’s day; chase two rabbits, catch none
March 16, 2017
Chekov certainly knew how to describe the nuances of people with satire and extravagant descriptions. His characters highlight how little things do change; such as students are lazy and noisy, men and women misunderstand each other, the rich and poor do not mix and Governments are not always as clever as they think. These stories were written in 1880 but except for the lack of the internet and mobile phones could be describing people today. I now look at Chekov as being the Trey Parker and Matt Stone of his day.
July 20, 2018
These stories written by a young and up and coming Anton Chekhov are to be sure lacking the maturity of much of his later work. They were by his own admission written to make money first and foremost and consequently not much time was spent on their literary merit. That being said, there is still a gleeful joy in these stories. What they lack in the pathos we normally associate with Chekhov, they make up for in parody and absurdity. His send ups of Jules Verne and Victor Hugo in particular had me laughing out loud (there are some wonderful illustrations that accompany the stories as well). It’s not Chekhov at his contemplative best, but it may be Chekhov at his funniest. A lot of fun.
August 12, 2020
The illustrations by Chekov's brother were interesting but the stories were a little too inconsequential for my mood. Short, silly and entirely forgettable.
Read
April 12, 2023very important to me to always be reading what leah is reading
March 8, 2022
super feminist surprisingly loved a lot of them was bored during some of them
January 31, 2025
Picked this up right after finishing A Nervous Breakdown and it was a pleasant read. I think A Nervous Breakdown had better writing than the selections here, but I suppose that is to be expected since this selection came from Chekov’s early years. He didn’t have as good of a handle on his signature prose at this time, but you can see it developing and I think that’s pretty interesting.
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August 31, 2025save some talent for the rest of us......
December 8, 2016
[from the introduction] "Chekhov aspired to concision throughout his career as a writer, and towards the end of his life joked that he had written a story from which he'd then crossed out every unnecessary detail, until all that was left was a single phrase: 'He and she fell in love, got married, and were unhappy.' "
[from 'Artists' Wives'] "We are all mortal, my dear. If not today, then tomorrow, if not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow, it's all the same: One day your friend would have died anyway . . . "
[from 'Artists' Wives'] "We are all mortal, my dear. If not today, then tomorrow, if not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow, it's all the same: One day your friend would have died anyway . . . "
December 29, 2020
A fun, light, and breezy short story collection. 3.5/5
Favourite short stories include:
In The Train Car
Before the Wedding
A Letter to a Learned Neighbour
St. Peter's Day
and the two parodies:
Flying Islands by Jules Verne (A Parody)
1,001 Passions, or, A Dreadful Night (A Timid Imitation of Victor Hugo)
Favourite short stories include:
In The Train Car
Before the Wedding
A Letter to a Learned Neighbour
St. Peter's Day
and the two parodies:
Flying Islands by Jules Verne (A Parody)
1,001 Passions, or, A Dreadful Night (A Timid Imitation of Victor Hugo)
January 10, 2020
First time reading Chekhov, and won't be the last. Impressed by the sharpness of his pronouncements and how easily he sketches amusing characterizations of people, how readily available it all is in spite of this being translated from Russian written before 1882. All the stories are short, which is a blessing for a couple that are absurd and not much else. Even though these are the first things he wrote, and are kind of after thoughts re: his collection since they weren't even published in his lifetime or translated until recently, the talent for story-telling is obvious: quick pacing, spare but more than adequate scene setting, little flashes of cruelty and ironic twists of fate...
I wasn't overwhelmed (there's no stylistic pyrotechnics here) or felt much tenderness for the characters, but I was never bored. The impressions of Verne and Hugo were hilarious. And it's clear from how easy Chekhov writes that he would have been a fun person to talk to. More surprising, even though this is 1882 he doesn't seem to harbor super gross beliefs about women, and the men he caricatures are people you'd recognize and heap scorn on today (we'll see if this pans out with his other stories...). Seems like someone who was ahead of his time!
It's also cool when an author is extremely prolific. Since these are the equivalent of his b-sides I'm excited to check out the stuff he's more known for.
Artist's Wives (★★★)
Papa (★★★)
St. Peter's Day (★★★)
Chase Two Rabbits, Catch None (★★)
A Confession, or, Olya, Zhenya, Zoya (★★)
A Sinner from Toledo (★)
The Temperaments (★)
Flying Islands by Jules Verne (★★★)
Before the Wedding (★★★)
A Letter to a Learned Neighbor (★★★★)
In the Train Car (★★)
1,001 Passions, or, A Dreadful Night (★★★★)
I wasn't overwhelmed (there's no stylistic pyrotechnics here) or felt much tenderness for the characters, but I was never bored. The impressions of Verne and Hugo were hilarious. And it's clear from how easy Chekhov writes that he would have been a fun person to talk to. More surprising, even though this is 1882 he doesn't seem to harbor super gross beliefs about women, and the men he caricatures are people you'd recognize and heap scorn on today (we'll see if this pans out with his other stories...). Seems like someone who was ahead of his time!
It's also cool when an author is extremely prolific. Since these are the equivalent of his b-sides I'm excited to check out the stuff he's more known for.
Artist's Wives (★★★)
Papa (★★★)
St. Peter's Day (★★★)
Chase Two Rabbits, Catch None (★★)
A Confession, or, Olya, Zhenya, Zoya (★★)
A Sinner from Toledo (★)
The Temperaments (★)
Flying Islands by Jules Verne (★★★)
Before the Wedding (★★★)
A Letter to a Learned Neighbor (★★★★)
In the Train Car (★★)
1,001 Passions, or, A Dreadful Night (★★★★)
April 4, 2018
A set of amusing, satirical trifles written when Chekhov was 22 that bear little resemblance (at least to my eyes) of the later Chekhov. Many of them are over-the-top satires, the first being of Bohemian life in Portugal with an absurd set of artists and writers living together in one hotel, together with satirical mock novels based on Jules Verne and Victor Hugo. Many of the others explicitly satirize Russian life, for example a wealthy father who's 15 year old son keeps repeating his elementary school grade goes in to bribe the math teacher to give his sone a passing grade. Most of them are illustrated with sketches by Chekhov's brother. Although these were collected by Chekhov, they were blocked by the censor in his lifetime and the introduction claims this is their first time in print in any language--and that several of the stories are translated into English for the first time as well.
November 16, 2019
One might approach these stories in a number of ways, and the reading of course makes all of the difference.
—Are they short pieces, perhaps quickly jotted, read with a briskness belying their subversive content?
—Yes!
Maria Bolshteyn’s introduction spills elucidating light over the conditions during which the stories were collected into this volume and left unpublished.
—Do they constitute a study of the early work of a beloved literary artist?
—That, as well.
—But do these stories not on their own legs stand, witty, critical, entertaining?
—They do that too.
Read, reader—what more from your skull might we ask?—but take not these of this volume on their surface, though merely they might be so simply had. Critically, subversively, with laughter in your belly and the gleam of intellect piercing your ocular read them! Chekhov is masterful even at the construct of these small, early things.
—Are they short pieces, perhaps quickly jotted, read with a briskness belying their subversive content?
—Yes!
Maria Bolshteyn’s introduction spills elucidating light over the conditions during which the stories were collected into this volume and left unpublished.
—Do they constitute a study of the early work of a beloved literary artist?
—That, as well.
—But do these stories not on their own legs stand, witty, critical, entertaining?
—They do that too.
Read, reader—what more from your skull might we ask?—but take not these of this volume on their surface, though merely they might be so simply had. Critically, subversively, with laughter in your belly and the gleam of intellect piercing your ocular read them! Chekhov is masterful even at the construct of these small, early things.
November 9, 2018
At first I was charmed and mesmerized and couldn't wait for the part of my day that involved winding down with a funny tale or two from Chekhov's longtime unpublished work. But the more I stretched out my reading, the less enjoyable it became and the more it felt like a chore. The last ten pages were so unbearably slow that I had to have a really good follow up prepared as motivation for me to finish. That being said, do I think his writing is fantastic? Yes - and I am forever indebted to the wonderful translator that made it possible for me and other non-Russian speaking (?) English readers to enjoy Chekhov's playful side. However, I strongly recommend condensing reading this short collection in a day or two, otherwise it starts to dilute what should be a whimsical and lighthearted journey overall.
December 4, 2025
This short story collection of Chekhov’s shows off humour,satire and keen insight. Most of them are satires, tales about life in general,a hunting party,love and betrayal and artists. The Russian lifestyle in general is depicted here through humour and subtle references.
The illustrations of Nikolay Chekhov add an extra dimension of fun to this collection. I loved the descriptions in the stories and all of them were quite entertaining! My favorites were Papa,A Confession and A Sinner From Toledo.
Funny and highly entertaining, these stories could be describing people today even though they were written in the late 1800s. I’m curious to read other works of Chekhov as well as other Russian authors.
The illustrations of Nikolay Chekhov add an extra dimension of fun to this collection. I loved the descriptions in the stories and all of them were quite entertaining! My favorites were Papa,A Confession and A Sinner From Toledo.
Funny and highly entertaining, these stories could be describing people today even though they were written in the late 1800s. I’m curious to read other works of Chekhov as well as other Russian authors.
July 15, 2024
This book was an utter delight that had me laughing out loud and reading passages to my wife.
These humorous pieces cover a variety of topics. Some are parodies, and the Jules Verne parody might be the funniest thing in this book.
Some of the pieces pierce artistic pomposity. "A Confession, or Olya, Zhenya, Zoya" was the best of these. Perhaps it also showed an inkling of the "mature" Chekhov, since once you stopped laughing and thought about it, there was sadness in this story as well.
A wonderful place for readers to first encounter Chekhov before moving on to his more serious works.
These humorous pieces cover a variety of topics. Some are parodies, and the Jules Verne parody might be the funniest thing in this book.
Some of the pieces pierce artistic pomposity. "A Confession, or Olya, Zhenya, Zoya" was the best of these. Perhaps it also showed an inkling of the "mature" Chekhov, since once you stopped laughing and thought about it, there was sadness in this story as well.
A wonderful place for readers to first encounter Chekhov before moving on to his more serious works.
September 28, 2018
Bom dia literarni rodino.
Jeden z nejlepsich ceskych spisovatelu, Čechov, byl dobrej sprymar, to teda musim uznat. Navic predbehl svou dobu. Youtuberi vali pranky az ted a Čechov valil pranky uz pred 1500 lety nebo kdy to zil. Tak to jako ze #respekt maníku.
Tenhle vybor povidek byl pro me pikantni, protoze Čechov predstiral, ze je Portugalec. Ja to tez predstiram a jelikoz jsem chlupatej na tele a do toho debil, splnuji oba pozadavky portugalstvi a nestoji mne to mnoho usili.
Neco bylo slabsi nez za 4 hvezdy, ale pobavil jsem se.
Jeden z nejlepsich ceskych spisovatelu, Čechov, byl dobrej sprymar, to teda musim uznat. Navic predbehl svou dobu. Youtuberi vali pranky az ted a Čechov valil pranky uz pred 1500 lety nebo kdy to zil. Tak to jako ze #respekt maníku.
Tenhle vybor povidek byl pro me pikantni, protoze Čechov predstiral, ze je Portugalec. Ja to tez predstiram a jelikoz jsem chlupatej na tele a do toho debil, splnuji oba pozadavky portugalstvi a nestoji mne to mnoho usili.
Neco bylo slabsi nez za 4 hvezdy, ale pobavil jsem se.
January 4, 2022
Though a tad random and dated with gender, class and nationality stereotypes, this weird first foray into Chekhov did not disappoint as I had a delightful experience devouring this short story collection showcasing his unique brand black humour deconstructing societal norms, which definitely got more seasoned and polished as he eventually matured in writing. 3 ½ stars rating rounded down, in anticipation of more fantastic takeaways from his acclaimed later works.
October 26, 2024
Very amusing and occasionally thought-provoking stories. I had previously only read individual stories of Chekhov here and there, but no full collection. This volume is a fine place to start with if you're interested in getting a taste of the sea that is Chekhov's oeuvre, but you feel unsure where to start with his huge corpus of writings (I struggled figuring out where to start for a long time too).
February 9, 2024
Wonderful collection of bizarre short stories, written by a very young Anton Chekhov- the settings are bizarre, the characters heavily flawed, and the incisive take on Russian culture is excellent.
Sadly, this entire book was confiscated by censors, and hence, he never saw it published during his lifetime.
Sadly, this entire book was confiscated by censors, and hence, he never saw it published during his lifetime.
May 16, 2024
Satirical and humorous stories by the young Chekhov, though extremely short and forgettable. Apparently, the stories were a social critique of Tsarist Russia, which I can definitely see, in a lot of ways.
September 19, 2017
Even more annoying than reading Wilde write a woman, glad to see him poking fun at more than just women however.
January 16, 2018
Not great, but his parodies of Hugo and Verne are pretty funny.
February 25, 2018
2.5 stars
A handful of the stories were phenomenal, but generally the rest were just OK.
A handful of the stories were phenomenal, but generally the rest were just OK.
May 31, 2018
Very funny and still reflective of life today. Minus the heavy Russian censorship of course. I will have to make sure I read more Chekhov.
June 1, 2018
A thoroughly enjoyable collection.
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