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The Very Best of Anton Chekhov
The best of Russian short story writer Anton Chekhov in one collection (with an active table of contents), including the letters and notebooks:
The Sea Gull
The Duel, And Other Stories
The Lady With The Dog, And Other Stories
The Wife, And Other Stories
The Witch, And Other Stories
The Party
The Letters of Anton Chekhov
The Notebook of Anton Chekhov
The Sea Gull
The Duel, And Other Stories
The Lady With The Dog, And Other Stories
The Wife, And Other Stories
The Witch, And Other Stories
The Party
The Letters of Anton Chekhov
The Notebook of Anton Chekhov
279 pages, Paperback
First published August 12, 2008
4 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Anton Chekhov
5,996 books9,812 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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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 23, 2015
Anton Chekhov has always been one of my favourite Russian authors.A doctor by profession and at the same time a wonderful author.
His short stories 27 in all make for a wonderful read. A deep insight into human behaviour, spot on.
The Princess, The Problem,At the Barber's, Rothschild's Fiddle, A Trifle from Life, Joy, An Enigmatic Nature, The Bet, Love, Not Wanted, the Head of the Family, Ivan Matveyitch are some of the ones I personally loved
His short stories 27 in all make for a wonderful read. A deep insight into human behaviour, spot on.
The Princess, The Problem,At the Barber's, Rothschild's Fiddle, A Trifle from Life, Joy, An Enigmatic Nature, The Bet, Love, Not Wanted, the Head of the Family, Ivan Matveyitch are some of the ones I personally loved
March 21, 2021
To start off, the table of contents is not the same as given in the description here for this edition by this publishing house.
Important themes are dealt with in every story: social themes and others more personal to the human heart. I loved the stories "The Bet" and "A Misfortune".
Sentences, esp where imagery is used, are, at many places, beautiful.The plots are crisp.
The only reason I took away 2 stars is that this is a translation and I imagine that the stories in their original language would be much more potent.That potency hasn't probably been duly replicated in this translation. I love the clever anecdotes, the sharp observations, the touches of sarcasm and irony even in the translation. It is just unfortunate that we cannot appreciate his work in the same way as those who speak Russian can do. Anton Chekhov is considered to be a master of short story writing and this translation doesn't show us why with total honesty. Many times, you do catch a sweeping glimpse of the genius we are expected to admire. The book leaves something wanting- a desire to know the real Chekhov perhaps. You are aware that this is him but diluted, as it were, into a less powerful concoction.
Also, probably don't expect to read this one in a day or so. Or even at a stretch.
Important themes are dealt with in every story: social themes and others more personal to the human heart. I loved the stories "The Bet" and "A Misfortune".
Sentences, esp where imagery is used, are, at many places, beautiful.The plots are crisp.
The only reason I took away 2 stars is that this is a translation and I imagine that the stories in their original language would be much more potent.That potency hasn't probably been duly replicated in this translation. I love the clever anecdotes, the sharp observations, the touches of sarcasm and irony even in the translation. It is just unfortunate that we cannot appreciate his work in the same way as those who speak Russian can do. Anton Chekhov is considered to be a master of short story writing and this translation doesn't show us why with total honesty. Many times, you do catch a sweeping glimpse of the genius we are expected to admire. The book leaves something wanting- a desire to know the real Chekhov perhaps. You are aware that this is him but diluted, as it were, into a less powerful concoction.
Also, probably don't expect to read this one in a day or so. Or even at a stretch.
January 27, 2023
An excellent introduction to the short stories of Chekhov who is, quite rightly, regarded as an acknowledged master in this form of short fiction. He has a real talent for picking out the individual foibles of his characters which are so revealing of their vices and virtues.
November 18, 2019
I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't much enjoy reading this book. I would resist picking it up, and once I started reading, I would look forward to putting it down. My failure.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews