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The Anton Chekov Omnibus
The Serapis Classics edition of "The Anton Chekov Omnibus" contains over 150 stories penned by the Russian master! A few months before he died, Chekhov told the writer Ivan Bunin that he thought people might go on reading his writings for seven years. "Why seven?" asked Bunin. "Well, seven and a half," Chekhov replied. "That's not bad. I've got six years to live."
- GenresShort Stories
2192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 23, 2017
31 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Anton Chekhov
5,972 books9,790 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 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 13, 2021
OMG! Y’all I finished it! And way ahead of schedule
I’m not sure what I want to say about it except the time it took was totally worth it
Question time: I’ve read a fairly decent amount of Russian literature (classic anyway) and I can’t for the life of me remember what the term “little Russian” means. Can anyone remind me please?
11/30/21 well y’all there is one month left in 2021 and I’ve made it to 75% of this immense book. I will not be counting it as part of my classics cleanup since I’ve been reading it most of a year. AND this book is only his short stories. None of his plays or anything else he wrote. You there is being prolific and being PROLIFIC. I have NEVER taken this long to read one book. Chekhov you win
I have been reading this book off and on all year. It’s frustrating because one will read 5-10 short stories and only increase by 5%. Someone just bury me with this book please. I’m sure there will be a lovely parlor where I’m going and I’ll just lie on the chaise and read
I’m not sure what I want to say about it except the time it took was totally worth it
Question time: I’ve read a fairly decent amount of Russian literature (classic anyway) and I can’t for the life of me remember what the term “little Russian” means. Can anyone remind me please?
11/30/21 well y’all there is one month left in 2021 and I’ve made it to 75% of this immense book. I will not be counting it as part of my classics cleanup since I’ve been reading it most of a year. AND this book is only his short stories. None of his plays or anything else he wrote. You there is being prolific and being PROLIFIC. I have NEVER taken this long to read one book. Chekhov you win
I have been reading this book off and on all year. It’s frustrating because one will read 5-10 short stories and only increase by 5%. Someone just bury me with this book please. I’m sure there will be a lovely parlor where I’m going and I’ll just lie on the chaise and read
December 1, 2025
“there are a great many opinions in this world, and more than half of them belong to people who have never known misery.”
it’s hard to give a coherent review here because i’ve been slowly reading this book for two years.
the longest book i’ve ever read. goodreads claims it’s over 2000 pages long but i can’t verify that as i read it as an apple ibook.
not everything chekhov ever wrote but a significant chunk of his works. the thing is, even the lesser stories here are good. i wouldn’t rate any of these stories under three stars. chekhov mastered the short story. being able to emotionally move someone in less than twelve pages is a gift not many people have.
each of the 150 stories here has more depth than you might expect and they touch on pretty much any topic you can think of without straying from the real world. philosophical, psychological, social, and cultural issues abound, but always, always wrapped in very human stories
“‘your honour, the kingdom of heaven will not be for you!’
‘there’s no help for it,’ the doctor said jestingly; ‘there must be somebody in hell, you know.’”
it’s hard to give a coherent review here because i’ve been slowly reading this book for two years.
the longest book i’ve ever read. goodreads claims it’s over 2000 pages long but i can’t verify that as i read it as an apple ibook.
not everything chekhov ever wrote but a significant chunk of his works. the thing is, even the lesser stories here are good. i wouldn’t rate any of these stories under three stars. chekhov mastered the short story. being able to emotionally move someone in less than twelve pages is a gift not many people have.
each of the 150 stories here has more depth than you might expect and they touch on pretty much any topic you can think of without straying from the real world. philosophical, psychological, social, and cultural issues abound, but always, always wrapped in very human stories
“‘your honour, the kingdom of heaven will not be for you!’
‘there’s no help for it,’ the doctor said jestingly; ‘there must be somebody in hell, you know.’”
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews