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Chekhov's Selected Stories
Tragic, comic and satirical, these 25 short stories evoke everyday life in 19th-century an illicit affair in ‘The Lady with a Dog’; a bereaved cabman in ‘Misery’; and a servant girl driven to desperation by a crying baby in ‘Sleepy’.
192 pages, Paperback
Published May 15, 2018
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About the author
Anton Chekhov
5,968 books9,782 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 - 30 of 37 reviews
May 4, 2023
Sorry to 3-star ya, Chekhov. I understand why people like these and why they are considered important to the form. They’re intriguing in their fixation on mundane aspects of day to day life, and cross sections of social classes. I liked how many of them aimed to capture specific feelings and moments rather than traditional narrative arcs. There’s a neat one about kids gambling and then falling asleep. There’s a touching one about a man who has lost his son and is absolutely desperate for connection and consolation, to the extent that he suddenly spurts forth tragedy onto strangers. There’s an intriguing one about a brilliant lawyer flummoxed by the fact that his intellect does not translate into communication with his son. My favorite is about a fiddler’s regret and is often beautiful:
He sat down under it and began to recall the past. On the other bank, where now there was the water meadow, in those days there stood a big birchwood, and yonder on the bare hillside that could he seen on the horizon an old, old pine forest used to be a bluish patch in the distance. Big boats used to sail on the river. But now it was all smooth and unruffled, and on the other bank there stood now only one birch-tree, youthful and slender like a young lady, and there was nothing on the river but ducks and geese, and it didn't look as though there had ever been boats on it. It seemed as though even the geese were fewer than of old. Yakov shut his eyes, and in his imagination huge flocks of white geese soared, meeting one another.
He wondered how it had happened that for the last forty or fifty years of his life he had never once been to the river, or if he had been by it he had not paid attention to it. Why, it was a decent sized river, not a trumpery one; he might have gone in for fishing and sold the fish to merchants, officials, and the bar-keeper at the station, and then have put money in the bank; he might have sailed in a boat from one house to another, playing the fiddle, and people of all classes would have paid to hear him; he might have tried getting big boats afloat again - that would be better than making coffins; he might have bred geese, killed them and sent them in the winter to Moscow. Why, the feathers alone would very likely mount up to ten roubles in the year.
But he had wasted his time, he had done nothing of this. What losses! Ah! What losses! And if he had gone in for all those things at once - catching fish and playing the fiddle, and running boats and killing geese - what a fortune he would have made! But nothing of this had happened, even in his dreams; life had passed uselessly without any pleasure, had been wasted for nothing, not even a pinch of snuff.
In the end though, it was hard for me to love this collection of stories that often seem to settle for observations that life is hard or unpleasant. Maybe I was shunted into skepticism by Chekhov’s general distaste for women, who are either flighty, flippant things or abused and dutiful wives. Or maybe in the tail end of winter I was not in the mood for so many stories about dying in cold indifference. In any case, these are well done but I didn’t enjoy them much.
He sat down under it and began to recall the past. On the other bank, where now there was the water meadow, in those days there stood a big birchwood, and yonder on the bare hillside that could he seen on the horizon an old, old pine forest used to be a bluish patch in the distance. Big boats used to sail on the river. But now it was all smooth and unruffled, and on the other bank there stood now only one birch-tree, youthful and slender like a young lady, and there was nothing on the river but ducks and geese, and it didn't look as though there had ever been boats on it. It seemed as though even the geese were fewer than of old. Yakov shut his eyes, and in his imagination huge flocks of white geese soared, meeting one another.
He wondered how it had happened that for the last forty or fifty years of his life he had never once been to the river, or if he had been by it he had not paid attention to it. Why, it was a decent sized river, not a trumpery one; he might have gone in for fishing and sold the fish to merchants, officials, and the bar-keeper at the station, and then have put money in the bank; he might have sailed in a boat from one house to another, playing the fiddle, and people of all classes would have paid to hear him; he might have tried getting big boats afloat again - that would be better than making coffins; he might have bred geese, killed them and sent them in the winter to Moscow. Why, the feathers alone would very likely mount up to ten roubles in the year.
But he had wasted his time, he had done nothing of this. What losses! Ah! What losses! And if he had gone in for all those things at once - catching fish and playing the fiddle, and running boats and killing geese - what a fortune he would have made! But nothing of this had happened, even in his dreams; life had passed uselessly without any pleasure, had been wasted for nothing, not even a pinch of snuff.
In the end though, it was hard for me to love this collection of stories that often seem to settle for observations that life is hard or unpleasant. Maybe I was shunted into skepticism by Chekhov’s general distaste for women, who are either flighty, flippant things or abused and dutiful wives. Or maybe in the tail end of winter I was not in the mood for so many stories about dying in cold indifference. In any case, these are well done but I didn’t enjoy them much.
July 5, 2024
There were some amazing five-star highlights in this, such as: At the Barbers, Fat and Thin, Oh! The Public, but a lot of the middle of this collection just passed me by without eliciting many feelings at all. The last handful of stories did also pick up, but for the whole collection, it has to be 3.25 stars.
March 14, 2023
Fuckin fire 🔥🔥
September 13, 2024
Chekhov’s ability to richly illustrate the mundane is really quite interesting- he well deserves his critical acclaim.
However on a personal note, the mundane still remains just that- boring subjects.
Really interesting cross section/commentary of old time Russia and the stark/grim realities the characters must face.
Went into these short stories looking for something light hearted, left very solemn- not a fun book but a great one
However on a personal note, the mundane still remains just that- boring subjects.
Really interesting cross section/commentary of old time Russia and the stark/grim realities the characters must face.
Went into these short stories looking for something light hearted, left very solemn- not a fun book but a great one
November 8, 2022
The transliterations here may not be "Library of Congress," but the stories are vivid and powerful and show why Chekhov is a master of the short story.
"Vanka" hits you like a piledriver. "Rothchild's Fiddle" really makes you confront the roots of bigotry, while "Children" will take you back to games you played as a child. The collection begins with short pieces and builds to the powerful climax of "Lady with a Dog," an outcome that seems a world removed from the sly irony of "Fat and Thin."
Chekhov immerses you in the late Russian empire, but you also find echoes of other places, times, and peoples in these stories as well. This is a splendid introduction to Chekhov's work.
Highly recommended.
"Vanka" hits you like a piledriver. "Rothchild's Fiddle" really makes you confront the roots of bigotry, while "Children" will take you back to games you played as a child. The collection begins with short pieces and builds to the powerful climax of "Lady with a Dog," an outcome that seems a world removed from the sly irony of "Fat and Thin."
Chekhov immerses you in the late Russian empire, but you also find echoes of other places, times, and peoples in these stories as well. This is a splendid introduction to Chekhov's work.
Highly recommended.
February 25, 2025
Good but not extraordinary.
Liked:
- matter of fact tone
- daily life depictions + irony
- the repeated use of the name Semyon for his “bad” characters, makes me think he was beefing with someone of that name at the time he wrote these
Didn’t like:
- some were so short and forgettable I felt bad just blowing right past them without Thinking Deeply™️ about it
- so many effing russian names
- some outdated racist language and ideas about women (to be expected, but still makes me wrinkle my nose)
Liked:
- matter of fact tone
- daily life depictions + irony
- the repeated use of the name Semyon for his “bad” characters, makes me think he was beefing with someone of that name at the time he wrote these
Didn’t like:
- some were so short and forgettable I felt bad just blowing right past them without Thinking Deeply™️ about it
- so many effing russian names
- some outdated racist language and ideas about women (to be expected, but still makes me wrinkle my nose)
October 6, 2023
Not my cup of tea I’m sorryyy
J’essaie de m’ouvrir à la lecture de short story, mais étant une fan des character development et des évolutions dans les relations des personnages, j’ai de la misère à m’attacher ou même comprendre le but des histoires en si peu de pages.
L’écriture était fluide pourtant, mais les thèmes ne venait pas forcément me touchée, peut-être encore une fois, à cause du format de lecture.
J’essaie de m’ouvrir à la lecture de short story, mais étant une fan des character development et des évolutions dans les relations des personnages, j’ai de la misère à m’attacher ou même comprendre le but des histoires en si peu de pages.
L’écriture était fluide pourtant, mais les thèmes ne venait pas forcément me touchée, peut-être encore une fois, à cause du format de lecture.
November 7, 2024
Chekhov’s works are mainly centered around moments prominent in mundane, day-to-day life and are consequently lacking much of the depth I look for in short stories. His writings are enjoyable, compact little tales that somehow leave me feeling a bit... empty? It’s not uncommon to see me looking for an analysis online just to check if I have missed some deeper meaning. I assume the nature of his motivations to write have to do with this, seeing as he wrote purely for money.
No matter the reason, I personally find his morals and meanings too obvious, taking away the fun of analyzing the text. Not for me.
You could also argue that I was simply coming down from the high of finishing Crime and Punishment and was unfairly comparing the two, and I would agree. I was definitely biased.
Ultimately, he writes pretty well, and I did enjoy the process of reading this collection. Honestly, it’s probably deserving of four stars, but I really can’t put it up there with my other four star-rated books, so three it is.
Sensible, down to earth, simplistic, and respectable. The type of stories I would enjoy but not cherish.
No matter the reason, I personally find his morals and meanings too obvious, taking away the fun of analyzing the text. Not for me.
You could also argue that I was simply coming down from the high of finishing Crime and Punishment and was unfairly comparing the two, and I would agree. I was definitely biased.
Ultimately, he writes pretty well, and I did enjoy the process of reading this collection. Honestly, it’s probably deserving of four stars, but I really can’t put it up there with my other four star-rated books, so three it is.
Sensible, down to earth, simplistic, and respectable. The type of stories I would enjoy but not cherish.
September 25, 2018
I never read Chekhov before. At first I liked his stories but found the endings rather abrupt. Then I started to appreciate the "journey" through his short stories rather than let myself be annoyed at some of his endings (which in cases had meaning, in others perhaps I did not get it). He has many interesting ideas/concepts contained in the body of his stories that should not be ignored. He writes very simply and in an almost "matter of fact" manner. I will read more Chekhov.
November 6, 2019
I enjoyed most of these stories. In fact, most were so good, I'd rate them a five. The first few and the last few, I didn't care for though. Even so, I recommend anyone to pick up the book and read it.
September 23, 2020
Oh, the public! There’s no satisfying them
-
Surrounding objects melted into one long furiously racing streak
Had I really uttered those four words or had she fancied them in the roar of the hurricane
Had those words been uttered or not? Yes or no?
The mystery remained a mystery
-
I'm traveling to space
I go where fate takes me
Around all is silence, you know... poetic twilight
I could embrace the whole world
If you are not happy it’s your own fault
Man is the creator of his own happiness
Everything depends on chance
Accidents are exceptional
-
His words flow smoothly and evenly, like water out of a pipe, and in abundance
Burying a man alive. Sarcasm
-
It’s a secret. It’s something so private that I could only speak of it in my prayers
Listen and forget it
That’s what I’m rich for, to be robbed
You can’t get on without parasites. Traitors
-
It seems that the earth, the sky, and he himself with his thoughts are all merged together into something vast and impenetrably black
They all sleep alike, rich and poor, wise and foolish, good and wicked. They are of the same value now
-
A married man has always more weight in society than a bachelor
What matters most in a woman is soul and mind
-
I want nothing, I ask nothing. Only know that I love you. Be silent, do not answer me. Only know that you are dear to me and let me look at you
He longed to say something to me, and he would have been glad to say it. But he said nothing
-
There is no faith, no truth in men. Whose task is it to save them?
He saw and understood how powerful was the devil
-
One must conceal one’s passions
-
She felt as though she had been living in that part of the country for ages and ages, and it seemed to her that she knew every stone, every tree on the road from the town to her school. Her past was here, her present was here, and she could imagine no other future than the school, the road to the town and back again, and again the school and again the road
Past life in her memory was something vague and fluid like a dream
In reality, life was arranged and human relations were complicated so utterly beyond all understanding
Thoughts were mingled with others
Teachers have not even the comfort of thinking that they are serving an idea or the people, as their heads are always stuffed with thoughts of their daily bread
It is an uninteresting life
Her happiness was glowing in the sky and on all sides, in the windows and on the trees
She had never been a schoolmistress, it was a long, tedious, strange dream, and now she had awakened
-
Surrounding objects melted into one long furiously racing streak
Had I really uttered those four words or had she fancied them in the roar of the hurricane
Had those words been uttered or not? Yes or no?
The mystery remained a mystery
-
I'm traveling to space
I go where fate takes me
Around all is silence, you know... poetic twilight
I could embrace the whole world
If you are not happy it’s your own fault
Man is the creator of his own happiness
Everything depends on chance
Accidents are exceptional
-
His words flow smoothly and evenly, like water out of a pipe, and in abundance
Burying a man alive. Sarcasm
-
It’s a secret. It’s something so private that I could only speak of it in my prayers
Listen and forget it
That’s what I’m rich for, to be robbed
You can’t get on without parasites. Traitors
-
It seems that the earth, the sky, and he himself with his thoughts are all merged together into something vast and impenetrably black
They all sleep alike, rich and poor, wise and foolish, good and wicked. They are of the same value now
-
A married man has always more weight in society than a bachelor
What matters most in a woman is soul and mind
-
I want nothing, I ask nothing. Only know that I love you. Be silent, do not answer me. Only know that you are dear to me and let me look at you
He longed to say something to me, and he would have been glad to say it. But he said nothing
-
There is no faith, no truth in men. Whose task is it to save them?
He saw and understood how powerful was the devil
-
One must conceal one’s passions
-
She felt as though she had been living in that part of the country for ages and ages, and it seemed to her that she knew every stone, every tree on the road from the town to her school. Her past was here, her present was here, and she could imagine no other future than the school, the road to the town and back again, and again the school and again the road
Past life in her memory was something vague and fluid like a dream
In reality, life was arranged and human relations were complicated so utterly beyond all understanding
Thoughts were mingled with others
Teachers have not even the comfort of thinking that they are serving an idea or the people, as their heads are always stuffed with thoughts of their daily bread
It is an uninteresting life
Her happiness was glowing in the sky and on all sides, in the windows and on the trees
She had never been a schoolmistress, it was a long, tedious, strange dream, and now she had awakened
July 2, 2021
When I saw this book on the shelves, I remembered that we had read some Chekhov is high school literature class, and thought it may be nice to read.
Well, it turns out the two stories we had read were Misery and Rothschild's Fiddle. I enjoyed reading those, and some others, too.
However, some of the stories really didn't seem to have a point, and I guess that, overall, the best way to read these stories is with someone that can spend many minutes dissecting each sentence, and inference - you know, like high school literature class.
Well, it turns out the two stories we had read were Misery and Rothschild's Fiddle. I enjoyed reading those, and some others, too.
However, some of the stories really didn't seem to have a point, and I guess that, overall, the best way to read these stories is with someone that can spend many minutes dissecting each sentence, and inference - you know, like high school literature class.
July 18, 2023
Many of these short stories are extremely short -only two or three pages- and yet they each manage to be as rich as some novels due to their stellar economy of prose. Every word is necessary and put exactly where it needs to be. The characters are all extremely realistic, though most of the time Chekhov only uses this realism to portray the pessimistic sides of everyday life. Many of the stores are funny, many are tragic, and all of them still resonate even though they were written over a hundred years ago.
February 17, 2024
Classic Chekhov, simple, to the point, very easy to read, follow and understand. This is a collection of 25 short stories, 15 of which have been categorized by Tolstoy as "1st quality". Nabokov also found "The Lady with a dog" to be "one of the greatest stories ever written".
In true Russian style, one goes straight to the epicenter of things. No need for useless talk. That's exactly what Chekhov did in all his written work. "If there's a gun on the wall, make sure it's fired."
I like his plays a little more.
In true Russian style, one goes straight to the epicenter of things. No need for useless talk. That's exactly what Chekhov did in all his written work. "If there's a gun on the wall, make sure it's fired."
I like his plays a little more.
November 9, 2021
Wish I was able to understand Russian so I could read some of these in their original iteration. There is definitely a great deal of subtext and context that gets lost in translation and with time.
Even so, this is a nice collection of Chekhov stories ranging from mundane to sincere. Will definitely revisit some, but not all. Can see how James Joyce was influenced by Chekhov.
Favorites: Home, The Cook's Wedding, Children, Rothschild's Fiddle, Gooseberries, About Love, The Lady With a Dog.
Even so, this is a nice collection of Chekhov stories ranging from mundane to sincere. Will definitely revisit some, but not all. Can see how James Joyce was influenced by Chekhov.
Favorites: Home, The Cook's Wedding, Children, Rothschild's Fiddle, Gooseberries, About Love, The Lady With a Dog.
March 7, 2021
Personally, this is my first book of short stories, and that even from a legendary Russian writer. I liked most of the stories, and sometimes it aroused me to write a simple short story of similar kind - luckily I didn't. Thanks to Chekhov 🙂.
While I didn't pay attention to last few of them but I would recommend this to anyone wishes to know a little about russian playwrights...
While I didn't pay attention to last few of them but I would recommend this to anyone wishes to know a little about russian playwrights...
August 29, 2025
For a book so short, it took me waaaaaaay too long to finish it.
Sooooo boring! I’m assuming I’m not really the intended audience, and perhaps the stories are very poignant and I’m just missing the meanings.
But holy hell - if I thought people were assholes now, this book proves people have always been assholes.
If you’re into classics, perhaps you’d enjoy this book.
Not for me.
Sooooo boring! I’m assuming I’m not really the intended audience, and perhaps the stories are very poignant and I’m just missing the meanings.
But holy hell - if I thought people were assholes now, this book proves people have always been assholes.
If you’re into classics, perhaps you’d enjoy this book.
Not for me.
October 29, 2020
I can see why Chekhov is the master of short stories: succinct, profound, potent. "Sleepy" was so morbid but thrilling, and "Gooseberries" is now one of my favorite stories to date. If you want to be a short-story writer, go read this guy.
Read
August 26, 2021Such a beautiful, sharp perspective on the quotidian. Personal favorites from this collection:
1. Misery, which moved me nearly to tears
2. Home, which brought me the world through the eyes of my father
3. About Love/The Lady with a Dog, which were honest and full hearted.
1. Misery, which moved me nearly to tears
2. Home, which brought me the world through the eyes of my father
3. About Love/The Lady with a Dog, which were honest and full hearted.
September 1, 2025
An incredible read with stories that really allow you to feel connected to the characters... "About Love" and "The Lady With A Dog" were two of my favourite, which evoked deep emotions and memories of my own. Truly a great book.
November 27, 2025
An average rating across all short stories in the collection but some deserve more credit than others.
Misery, Vanka, Champagne: A Wayfarer's Story, Home, Sleepy, and The Man in a Case are a lot closer to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ than they are to 3 for me.
Misery, Vanka, Champagne: A Wayfarer's Story, Home, Sleepy, and The Man in a Case are a lot closer to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ than they are to 3 for me.
September 17, 2021
Best stories in this collection (imo) were "The Cook's Wedding", "Champagne", "A Play", and of course "The Lady with the Dog".
January 27, 2022
Chekhov's stories are so poignant. He really captures the tragicomedy of life. I loved every one.
February 4, 2022
my first batch of short stories and boy these were wonderful. A witty reveal of some small yet moving part of the human condition with each story.
February 14, 2022
i liked the stories in the beginning and at the end. stuff in the middle was ok but mostly forgettable.
July 2, 2022
Some stories better than others.
May 14, 2023
I found them too dated, too mannered. But disappointed.
August 18, 2023
Chekhov gives the reader a view of Russian culture in the late 19th century. Some of these vignettes are short on plot but loaded with imagery and meaning, others more profound. Worth a read.
September 17, 2023
I really didn't care for these stories.
October 30, 2023
Felt this translation was missing something.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews