Chekhov Stories Series

A collection of Chekhov's short stories featuring: Talent, Anyuta, The Helpmate, Ivan Matveyitch, Polinka. These stories are rich in characterisation and represent brilliantly observed slices of life. They don’t come to an end, they just peter out inconclusively leaving you to draw your own conclusions.

A collection of Short Stories by Anton Chekhov featuring "A Tragic Actor", "In A Strange Land", "Oh The Public", "The Looking Glass", "Her Husband", and "Overdoing It". These stories are small masterpieces. The scene is set quickly and within a few sentences the story line is underway. But all seem to contain an element of the unexpected.In "A Tragic Actor", a man who believes he is destined for great things, but his life does not turn out as planned. The protagonist, Alexander Ivanovich Petrov, is a struggling actor who has never had much success. He spends his days working at a small theater in a small town, and his nights drinking and dreaming of the day when he will finally make it big.

This volume of Chekhov stories includes: "A Trivial Incident", "Bad Weather", "The Chorus Girl", "Zinotchka", "A Gentleman Friend".In "Zinotchka", Anton Chekhov tells the story of a young woman who is forced to marry a much older man. The story explores the theme of arranged marriage and the power dynamics between men and women. Chekhov uses symbolism and irony to highlight the characters' struggles with their relationships.In "A Gentleman Friend", Chekhov tells the tale of a young man's infatuation with a married woman. The story is set in 19th-century Russia and explores the themes of love, obsession, and disappointment. The protagonist, Ivan, is a poor law student who falls in love with the beautiful and wealthy Elena. Elena is married to a older man who is unable to give her the attention she desires.

This volume features a trilogy of interlinked stories: "About Truth", "About Freedom", "About Love". In "About Love", Anton Chekhov explores the theme of love through the lens of unrequited love. The story centres around the character of Olga, who is in love with a man who does not return her affections. Chekhov uses Olga's unrequited love to examine the nature of love itself, and to question whether true love is possible if it is not reciprocated.

These stories, as part of "Excellent People and Other Stories" by Anton Chekhov, showcase the author's profound understanding of human nature and his ability to depict the complexities of relationships. Through vivid storytelling and astute observations, Chekhov captures the essence of the human experience, unveiling the depths of longing, disillusionment, and resilience that exist within us all. Reading the unabridged English versions allows readers to fully immerse themselves in Chekhov's masterful prose and explore the timeless themes that continue to resonate with audiences today. In "At Christmas Time" by Anton Chekhov, the story revolves around a group of friends who gather together during the holiday season. As they share anecdotes and engage in lively discussions, the true nature of their relationships and individual personalities gradually unfold. Chekhov skillfully explores the dynamics of friendship, exposing the complexities and contradictions that arise when people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together in a festive setting. "The Lady with the Dog" presents a captivating narrative of forbidden love. Set in the late 19th century, the story follows the chance encounter between Dmitri Gurov, a middle-aged married man, and Anna Sergeyevna, a young woman also trapped in an unhappy marriage. What begins as a casual fling evolves into a profound emotional connection that challenges the societal norms and moral expectations of the time. Chekhov delves into the characters' inner turmoil, exposing their vulnerability and the transformative power of love.

A timeless observation of the human condition from one of the best story writers in history of world literature. Chekhov’s stream of consciousness technique that revolutionised modern literature and his characteristic mix of humour and poignancy unite 11 stories featured in this collection. A Tragic Actor; In A Strange Land; Oh The Public; The Looking Glass; Her Husband; Overdoing It; Talent; Anyuta; The Helpmate; Ivan Matveyich; Polinka;

In "Anna on the Neck" by Anton Chekhov, the tale revolves around a young woman named Anna, who marries a wealthy man for financial security. Despite material comforts, she finds herself trapped in a loveless and stifling marriage. The story delves into her emotional struggles, highlighting the complexities of societal expectations and personal desires.

A district doctor moves to town and is encouraged to meet Turkins family only to fall helplessly in love with their daughter. The Turkins are the smartest family in a small, unnamed town. The father plays puns on words, the wife writes and reads aloud unrealistic novels, and the daughter pounds the keyboards of the piano with the hope of becoming a professional pianist.

Chekhov has always been huge inspiration for many great writers who came in contact with Chekhov's art. Thomas Man wrote that Chekhov's short stories attain to full epic stature and can even surpass in intensity the great towering novels. 'If I understood that better in later life than in my youth, this was largely owing to my growing intimacy with Chekhov’s art; for his short stories rank with all that is greatest and best in European literature.' he concluded . But what is it that makes Chekhov's stories so poignant, so striking and so inspiring? This volume offers some Chekhov's best stories, including: An Inadvertence, A Tripping Tongue, Boots, In An Hotel, Ladies.

Doctor Starchenko and Lyzhin, a young deputy examining magistrate, arrive at Syrnya to attend to the case of Lesnitsky, an insurance agent, who, upon arrival to the village three days before, entered the local zemstvo house, ordered himself a samovar, unpacked his food packets, and then all of as sudden shot himself.

The Man In A Case, written by Anton Chekhov, is a short story that employs a narrative framework to explore the tension between the desire of an individual for self-emancipation and societal expectations. The protagonist, Byelikov, is presented as an isolated figure whose internal conflict between his need for freedom and the restrictions imposed upon him by societal norms serves as the primary source of tension in the story.

"The House with the Mezzanine" follows a young artist who visits a rural estate. He falls for a local girl, but cultural differences and his artistic disposition hinder connection. A meditation on love, art, and societal divisions unfolds, revealing the complexities of human emotions and aspirations.

Pyotr, the Bishop at the Staro-Petrovski Convent feels weak and unwell. During the evening service, on the eve of Palm Sunday, while distributing the palm, he sees in the crowd a woman who looks like his mother whom he had not seen for nine years. For no particular reason tears start flowing from his eyes… Tired and in a kind of haze, he returns to his monastery bedroom, then learns from Father Sysoi, a lay brother, that his mother indeed had come to visit him, bringing with her Katya, an eight-year old niece. This brings him great joy, he spends the night in reveries… But he is unable to sleep also because his conditions worsens, and he seems to be in a fever.

Revolving around philosophical and social conflicts, this story is set in a provincial mental asylum and explores the interactions occurring between a doctor and the members of his town. Andrey Yefimitch Ragin is the head doctor of a small town and although his position is favorable, he finds himself distressed with the mediocrity surrounding him. His deep desire to be submerged in intellectual conversation is satisfied by one of the patients in the mental ward adjacent to the hospital. This ward consists of five patients, referred to as lunatics, and a behavior enforcing soldier. The doctor seldomly visited the ward, but the one time he did, he became captivated by a paranoid patient who challenged his view on suffering. Ivan Gromov, although in a mental ward, was one of the sane members of the town, an eloquent man capable of engaging in the sort of intellectual conversation that the doctor had long been searching for. Gromov denounces the injustice he sees everywhere, while Dr. Ragin insists on ignoring injustice and other evils; partially as a result of this way of thinking, he neglects to remedy the shoddy conditions of the mental ward.

"Kashtanka" is a delightful short story by Anton Chekhov that revolves around a spirited little dog named Kashtanka and her series of adventures. The story begins with Kashtanka as a stray puppy, living a challenging life on the streets until she is taken in by a kind circus clown named Ivan Ivanovich. Under Ivan's care, Kashtanka finds a new home and becomes part of the circus family. As Kashtanka adapts to her new surroundings, she encounters a variety of colorful characters, including the arrogant dachshund Sausage, the pompous cat Murka, and the wise old donkey named Zhuchka. Each interaction teaches Kashtanka valuable lessons about loyalty, friendship, and the complexities of the human world.

The story's protagonist, Grigori Tsybukin, runs the local grocery store but supplements his income by selling homebrewed vodka on the sly. Grigori's family—consisting of his wife Varvara, his sons Anisim and Stephan, and his "handsome" daughter-in-law Aksinia—aid him in his entrepreneurial endeavors. In particular, Aksinia is designated as Tsybukin's second-in-command, which encourages the young woman to think that she might become the heir to his business. Although many locals congratulate Grigori on his good fortune in life and the merits of his daughter-in-law, not everyone expresses such good humor.

Nikitin, a 27-year-old teacher of Russian literature in a provincial gymnasium, is infatuated with Masha Shelestova, an 18-year daughter of a local landlord. A happy man, he admires everything about the Shelestov house and is even prepared to endure the huge number of cats and dogs. He marries Masha and the idyll continues, now partly in their country house.

Travelling from Odessa and Sevastopol, the narrator on board the steamboat meets a man called Ivan Shamokhin, who tells him a story of his love for a woman named Ariadna Kotlovich. Initially he is just dazzled by her beauty, gracefulness, originality, wit and intelligence; to him she is an epitome of perfection. Gradually he comes to realize that there is vanity and coldness behind her shiny charisma. She loves seeing Shamokhin around, but only because the fact that a young man so attractive and virtuous is so obviously infatuated with her, gives her great pleasure. His attempts at escaping are all in vain: he is now totally under the spell of Ariadna…

Olga Ivanovna Dymova enjoys the company of extraordinary people, all painters, writers and musicians, who look to her bright and original. All members of the small artistic circle which she is a hostess of, they all tell her she herself is a promising artist and pianist, the reputation she tries to uphold by practicing regularly and producing countless and, apparently, not very original 'etudes'.

"The Kiss" by Anton Chekhov follows Ryabovitch, a modest army officer, who experiences unexpected turmoil when he accidentally kisses the wife of an official during a ball. Consumed by guilt and fear, he navigates an internal struggle while facing the consequences of his actions. The story delves into human nature, morality, and the complexities of desire within societal constraints.

The town was a little one, worse than a village, and it was inhabited by scarcely any but old people who died with an infrequency that was really annoying. In the hospital and in the prison fortress very few coffins were needed. In fact business was bad. If Yakov Ivanov had been an undertaker in the chief town of the province he would certainly have had a house of his own, and people would have addressed him as Yakov Matveyitch; here in this wretched little town people called him simply Yakov…

"Excellent People" by Anton Chekhov is a poignant and introspective story that revolves around the lives of Vladimir Semyonitch Liadovsky and his sister, Vera Semyonovna. Vladimir is a self-proclaimed literary man, passionate about his writing and aspiring for greater recognition. Meanwhile, Vera, a woman doctor, leads a life overshadowed by past tragedies and her devotion to her brother. Despite their contrasting personalities, they share a deep bond. "Excellent People" delves into themes of purpose, existential questioning, and the clash between idealism and pragmatism. Chekhov skilfully captures the complexities of human relationships and the internal struggles of individuals as they navigate their desires and beliefs. Through the contrasting perspectives of the two siblings, the story explores the profound impact of differing ideologies on their bond, leaving the reader with a thought-provoking reflection on the pursuit of personal passions and the search for meaning in life.

Savka, a lazy and strangely introspective man of great physical force and sexual charm, as well as some bizarre habits, is seen as a despicable outcast by the village's male community. Women, though, 'pity' Savka and visit him regularly by night, bringing food and receiving romantic 'hand-outs' which he delivers condescendingly, with contempt mixed with perplexing pity. Agafya, a young railway signalman's wife, is the latest convert to the local sex cult, risking her husband's potentially murderous wrath for several minutes of bliss with a man whom she is apparently in almost religious awe of.