What do you think?
Rate this book


Anton Chekhov is now justly celebrated as one of Russia’s greatest writers, but this reputation was hard won in his time. His work consistently challenged expectations, and his insights were not always easy to see. The continued relevance of his stories, however, has shown that Chekhov was ahead of his time, and the nine short stories collected here showcase his very best writing. In such masterpieces as “A Doctor’s Visit,” “Ionitch,” and the title story, “The Lady with the Dog,” Chekhov explores universal themes of ambition and failure, love and loss, and the thin line that divides triumph and despair. Admired for his startling modernity by such artists as Vladimir Nabokov, Virginia Woolf, and Raymond Carver, Chekhov remains one of the world’s most influential storytellers.
Revised edition: Previously published as The Lady with the Dog & Other Stories, this edition of The Lady with the Dog & Other Stories (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1899
كان يعيش حياتين: حياة ظاهرة، يعرفها ويرآها كل من ينبغي أن يعرفها ويرآها. حياة مليئة بالصدق النسبي والخداع النسبي، تشبه تماماً حياة جيرانه ومعارفه وأصدقائه. وحياة أخرى تمضي سراً، وحسب اتساق غريب للظروف. ربما كان عرضا، جرى كل ما كان بالنسبة له مهماً وطريفا وضرورياً، كل ما كان فيه مخلصا وصادقاً مع نفسه، كل ما كان يشكل نواة حياته، جرى في سرية عن الآخرين. أما ما كان كذبا، وقشرة يختبيء خلفها ليخفي الحقيقية، كعمله في البنك مثلاً ومناقشاته في النادي، وجنسه المنحط، وتردده في زوجته على الحفلات– كل ذلك كان ظاهراً. وحسب حاله كان يحكم على الآخرين، ولا يصدق ما يراه، ويعتقد دائماً أن لكل إنسان حياته الحقيقية الشيقة التي تمضي تحت ستار السرية مثلما تحت جنح الليل، وكل مخلوق فرد يقوم وجوده على الأسرار. وربما لذلك يسعى الإنسان المثقف بقلق من أجل أن تحترم الأسرار الشخصية.

PS: I have been listening to some music while the reading took place as, for a weird reason, I felt that I could assign some songs to the stories. It was more fun and worthwhile to guess what song goes to what story. Well, don’t condemn me. It comes naturally with old age :D
https://youtu.be/MAH-9014LoI
*****
The Lady with the Dog
Am cunoscut o fata (0:00)
Mai da-mi doar o zi din viata ta (17:14)
Stiu ca ma iubesti (27:47)
A Doctor’s Visit
An Upheaval
Ionitch
Nu uita (4:33)
Noapte de vis (9:42)
Domnisoara mea (13:38)
The Head of the Family
Nu am sa-ti mai scriu (21:13)
The Black Monk
N-am sa-ti mai fac placerea (38:51)
Volodya
Sluga vreau sa-ti fiu (47:51)
Te-am intalnit (53:39)
Gelozia (56:47)
An Anonymous Story
Dragostea (35:40)
Te-am tradat (31:44)
The Husband
Nu e doar vina mea (24:32)
Prea tarziu (42:48)
*****