Anton Chekhov is considered by many as one of the greatest short story writers of all-time. In addition to the large number of short stories that he wrote he also produced several dramatic masterpieces. His best known works include «The Cherry Orchard», «Ivanov», «Uncle Vanya», and «Three Sisters». Those plays along with «The Sea-Gull», «The Swan Song», «On the High Road», «The Proposal», «The Wedding», «The Bear», «A Tragedian in Spite of Himself», and «The Anniversary» are included in this representative volume of «The Plays of Anton Chekhov».
Collected here are the letters of famed master of the short story, Anton Chekhov (1860-1904). The son of a former serf in southern Russia, Chekhov attended Moscow University to study medicine, writing short stories for periodicals in order to support his family. What began as a necessity became a legitimate career in 1886 when he was asked to write in St. Petersburg for the Novoye Vremya (New Times), owned by millionaire magnate Alexey Suvorin. Chekhov began paying more attention to his writing, revising and developing his own principles and conceptions of truth, for a time coming under the influence of Leo Tolstoy. The letters in this volume illustrate the charming blend of narration and wit that comprise Chekhov's signature style. Ranging from love letters, discussions of literature with publishers and directors, and descriptions of the landscapes, people and preoccupations of his daily life, this collection lets readers see inside the mind of one of the world's greatest writers.
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a master of the short story. The son of a former serf in southern Russia, he attended Moscow University to study medicine, writing short stories for periodicals in order to support his family. What began as a necessity became a legitimate career in 1886 when he was asked to write in St. Petersburg for the Novoye Vremya (New Times), owned by millionaire magnate Alexey Suvorin. Chekhov began paying more attention to his writing, revising and developing his own principles and conceptions of truth, for a time coming under the influence of Leo Tolstoy. As a result of his widespread popularity, Chekhov amassed a vast collection of short stories displaying an early use of stream-of-consciousness writing, as well as his powerful ideas concerning the individual, the tedium of life, and the beauty nature and humanity. This edition contains «The Duel», «Excellent People», «Mire», «Neighbors», «At Home», «Expensive Lessons», «The Princess», and «The Chemist's Wife».
A classic collection of short stories from one the greatest short stories writers of all-time, Anton Chekhov. «The Lady with the Dog and Other Stories» includes the following tales: The Lady With the Dog, A Doctor’s Visit, An Upheaval, Ionitch, The Head of the Family, The Black Monk, Volodya, An Anonymous Story, and The Husband.
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a master of the short story. The son of a former serf in southern Russia, he attended Moscow University to study medicine, writing short stories for periodicals in order to support his family. What began as a necessity became a legitimate career in 1886 when he was asked to write in St. Petersburg for the Novoye Vremya (New Times), owned by millionaire magnate Alexey Suvorin. Chekhov began paying more attention to his writing, revising and developing his own principles and conceptions of truth, for a time coming under the influence of Leo Tolstoy. As a result of his widespread popularity, Chekhov amassed a vast collection of short stories displaying an early use of stream-of-consciousness writing, as well as his powerful ideas concerning the individual, the tedium of life, and the beauty nature and humanity. This edition contains «The Wife,» «Difficult People,» «The Grasshopper,» «A Dreary Story,» «The Privy Councilor,» «A Man in a Case,» «Gooseberries,» «About Love,» and «The Lottery Ticket.»
Originally published in 1898 and performed for the first time in Moscow in 1899, “Uncle Vanya” is widely considered one of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s most important dramas. It is the tale of the visit of Serebryakov, a retired professor and his new, young wife, Yelena, to the rural estate that had belonged to Serebyrakov’s late first wife and that supports the couple in their urban lifestyle. The estate is run by Serebryakov’s adult unmarried daughter, Sonia, and her Uncle Vanya, brother to the late first wife. Essentially a reworking of another Chekhov play from a decade earlier, “The Wood Demon”, “Uncle Vanya” is a melancholic study in bitterness and regret as the characters reflect on their respective failures to accomplish their lives’ ambitions. Tensions and resentments boil over and Uncle Vanya is pushed to his breaking point when Serebryakov considers selling the estate so he may put the money in more lucrative investments with no thought to the lives he will displace in the process. A classic tragicomedy, “Uncle Vanya” has been praised as one of Chekhov’s most important plays ever since its first performance and continues to be revered and studied to this day. This edition follows the translation of Marian Fell and includes a biographical afterword.
Written in 1903, “The Cherry Orchard” was Anton Chekhov’s final play, widely regarded as one of his greatest dramatic accomplishments. It is a story set during the decline of the aristocracy and the rise of an emergent middle class in Russian society at the turn of the 20th Century. Madame Ranevsky and her daughters have returned to their family estate, including its famous cherry orchard, to oversee the auction of the estate in order to pay the mortgage. Madame Ranevsky is paralyzed by the thought of losing the sentimental cherry orchard and all that the loss of the family estate represents and has no grasp of the financial and legal issues she faces. Rather than see her family’s property divided and sold off so that she can keep a small piece of it, it is instead sold to the son of a former serf. Ultimately the now destitute family leaves to the sound of the beloved orchard being chopped down, the symbolic and metaphoric end to an era. The vast social and financial upheaval at the end of the 20th century in Russia, which ultimately led to the Socialistic Revolution, is excellently portrayed in Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard.” In turns melancholy and comedic, this timeless dramatic masterpiece continues to move audiences to this day. This edition includes a biographical afterword and follows the translation of Julius West.
Collected in this volume are five of Chekhov’s most popular dramatic works: “Ivanov”, “The Sea-Gull”, “Uncle Vanya”, “Three Sisters” and “The Cherry Orchard”. Firstly in “Ivanov” we find the taut psychological drama of Nikolai Ivanov, a man who is severely conflicted by the illness of his wife, his mounting debts, and his own internal desires. Secondly, “The Sea-Gull” is the story of the romantic and artistic conflicts between four main characters: Nina, the daughter of a wealthy landowner; Madame Irina Arkadina, a once leading actress; Konstantin Treplyov, her son and a playwright; and Trigorin, a well-known writer. Thirdly, “Uncle Vanya” is a melancholic portrait of a cast of characters examining their respective miseries and failures to accomplish in their lives that which they might have hoped to. Fourthly, “Three Sisters” is a story which concerns the lives of an aristocratic family, the Prozorovs, who struggle to search for meaning in the modern world. Lastly “The Cherry Orchard” is the tale of an aristocratic Russian woman and her family who return to their estate, a cherry orchard, to oversee its auction in order to pay the mortgage. Taken together this collection of dramas exhibits Chekhov’s literary prowess and provides a brilliant portrait for the dramatic social environment of Russia at the turn of the 20th century. This edition follows the translations of Marian Fell and Julius West and includes a biographical afterword.
Anton Chekhov, who is often credited with inventing the modern short story, wrote many volumes worth of stories during his lifetime. Considered by many as one of the greatest short story writers of all time, Chekhov’s extraordinary storytelling gift is exemplified in this volume of twenty-three of his most popular stories. “Ward No. 6 and Other Stories” includes the following stories: “The Cook’s Wedding”, “The Witch”, “A Dead Body”, “Easter Eve”, “On the Road”, “The Dependents”, “Grisha”, “The Kiss”, “Typhus”, “The Pipe”, “The Princess”, “Neighbours”, “The Grasshopper”, “In Exile”, “Ward No. 6”, “Rothschild’s Fiddle”, “The Student”, “The Darling”, “A Doctor’s Visit”, “Gooseberries”, “The Lady with the Dog”, “In the Ravine”, and “The Bishop”. This edition follows the translations of Constance Garnett.
Anton Chekhov was a master of the short story. The son of a former serf in southern Russia, he attended Moscow University to study medicine, writing short stories for periodicals in order to support his family. What began as a necessity became a legitimate career in 1886 when he was asked to write in St. Petersburg for the Novoye Vremya (New Times), owned by publishing magnate Alexey Suvorin. Chekhov began paying more attention to his writing, revising and developing his own principles and conceptions of truth, for a time coming under the influence of Leo Tolstoy. As a result of his widespread popularity, Chekhov amassed a vast collection of short stories displaying an early use of stream-of-consciousness writing, as well as his powerful ideas concerning the individual, the tedium of life, and the beauty of nature and humanity. Twenty-eight stories are collected here in the “Selected Stories of Anton Chekhov” including many of the author’s most popular shorter works. This edition includes a biographical afterword.