Ivanov

By David Harrower and Anton Chekhov

Ivanov, a driving force in local government and a visionary landowner, feels burnt out at thirty-fi ve. Once the pioneer of scientifi c farming methods and of education for the peasants, he now drowns in bureaucracy and debt, his large estate neglected. While his wife is dying, Sasha, a young, educated woman, falls in love with Ivanov and determines to save him.

Set in a country suffering from political, ideological and spiritual stagnation, Chekhov’s fi rst full-length play anticipates the explosive revolutionary atmosphere of Russia at the turn of the century.

• Language: English
• Publisher: OBERON BOOKS Ltd
• Release date: Nov 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781783192687

Reviews for Ivanov

[lizpatanders · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It can be easy to get frustrated with the characters in this play, but it's interesting to sit down and analyze them.

[smichaelwilson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A convoluted morality play in which the main character spends all of his time either complaining how sad he is or arguing about how bad of a person he either is or isn't. There is some excellent writing in here, of course, but I didn't find the play overly compelling or even convincingly philosophical, just a bunch of people alternately gossiping and complaining, so much so that it was a relief when Chekhov's Gun finally came full circle. I'm sure others will argue the play's superiority, and it's possible they are right, but it just didn't appeal to me.

[arewenotben · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

National Theatre (Young Chekhov Season) : Astoundingly good, I wasn't familiar with the play before viewing but it has that perfect mix of tragedy and comedy that the best Chekhov has - assuming it's not just the adaptation, it's interesting reading the reviews here of readers who don't see any comedy in the play. Saying that though, was mulling over lots on the way out and throughout, definitely aiming to see the other 2 plays as part of the season.