A Pink Stocking

Written by Anton Chekhov

Narrated by John Brown

"The Pink Stocking" by Anton Chekhov is a short story that unfolds on a dreary, rainy day with Pavel Petrovitch Somov, feeling bored and restless, pacing in his study. His wife, Madame Somov, is described as a pretty little lady wearing a light blouse and pink stockings, busily writing a letter to her sister Varya. Curious and looking for a distraction, Somov asks to read the letter and, while initially disinterested, he becomes increasingly concerned and confused as he progresses through the pages. Upon finishing the letter, he reacts with shock and disbelief, flinging the sheets on the table and uttering that the content is "beyond anything" and "positively incredible." The story hints at a marital dynamic filled with secrets and perhaps suggests that Madame Somov has written something unexpected or alarming, leaving both the character and the reader with a sense of perplexity and intrigue.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing
• Release date: Mar 5, 2024

Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian doctor, short-story writer, and playwright. Born in the port city of Taganrog, Chekhov was the third child of Pavel, a grocer and devout Christian, and Yevgeniya, a natural storyteller. His father, a violent and arrogant man, abused his wife and children and would serve as the inspiration for many of the writer’s most tyrannical and hypocritical characters. Chekhov studied at the Greek School in Taganrog, where he learned Ancient Greek. In 1876, his father’s debts forced the family to relocate to Moscow, where they lived in poverty while Anton remained in Taganrog to settle their finances and finish his studies. During this time, he worked odd jobs while reading extensively and composing his first written works. He joined his family in Moscow in 1879, pursuing a medical degree while writing short stories for entertainment and to support his parents and siblings. In 1876, after finishing his degree and contracting tuberculosis, he began writing for St. Petersburg’s Novoye Vremya, a popular paper which helped him to launch his literary career and gain financial independence. A friend and colleague of Leo Tolstoy, Maxim Gorky, and Ivan Bunin, Chekhov is remembered today for his skillful observations of everyday Russian life, his deeply psychological character studies, and his mastery of language and the rhythms of conversation.