Stories of Anton Chekhov (Illustrated) Kindle Edition

Unfortunately, this is not the paperback translation done by the premier Russian literature translating team, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. The kindle translation is grammatically confusing. It is upsetting and misleading that Amazon would offer (without warning) a different translation for the Kindle version.

This is a compilation of short stories, mostly on the subject of death and disillusionment. Chekhov’s characters are average academics or commonplace countryfolk, generally tragic and apathetic persons battling their own obscurity and the gradual narrowing of options as one grows older - old age, depression, declining health, loss of love, loss of loved ones, etc. In this way the appeal of his writing is universal.The stories themselves richly describe the lives of ordinary Russians in the late 1800’s. They are portraits and mini-plots plucked out of space and time that resonate with age-old human problems. They grip you with the narrative of real people as they experience life, often in the stream of consciousness style. He peers into the minds of people that lived 120 years ago. His characterization is so vital, one almost feels these personalities sitting alive in the room. It is these snapshots into the thought life, the manner of speaking of people long ago, that pulls you in. The translation is very good. I found the language simple, direct and engaging.Be aware however that some of the tales initially come across as meaningless and pointless. They go nowhere, are instantly forgettable. I would say a full half of the stories are dull in this way: there is even one titled “A boring story”.Chekhov’s writing often seems to be a long and constant wrestle with Christianity. Almost every story vibrates with religious echoes. His apparent questioning and criticism of the church is typical of late 19th century European literature. Stalin used to enjoy reading Chekhov, and his writings were used to help justify communism and the persecution of the church. One should be reminded that millions of Christians were dispossessed and killed under Communism as “undesirables”. Academics have argued however that it is unclear which side of the fence he was on. Certainly at times it is hard to pin down whether he is attacking orthodoxy or merely turning it over in his mind, but there are moments when the author subtly yet unmistakably upholds the authority of the bible as regards the nature of life and eternity.

What I love about Chekhov is his sparse language and his ability to paint a full picture of someone’s life in so few words. Each word matters, and he often will choose words for a dual purpose, like the use of the word “stranger” in “The Huntsman.” It can literally be someone who is unknown to you or someone you haven’t seen in a long time and you feel that they have become a stranger. I found this translation very readable and the stories relatable even today — these stories were written in the late 1800s.Selected Stories of Anton Chekhov translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky will keep readers on their toes, as some situations can be a bit odd. However, the concepts of lost love, jobs that are unsatisfying, and husbands who become strangers to their wives are issues that persist even today.

This is a nice compilation of Chekhov's work, taking the reader from early days to his later works. If you like Chekhov, or want to sample his writings, this is a good book to get.

An excellent and diverse book of short stories. The weakest ones are still very good, while the strongest are some of the best fiction I've ever read. Even the translation (compared to Constance Garrett) is great.

If a person can't appreciate these stories, then literature is not for "them". Or "him". Or "her". Chekhov implies the most extraordinary aspects of the world using the simplest of means and the quietist of voices. The translations, as always with these folks, are terrific.

I saw 2 of Chekhov's plays in college and I honestly don't remember them. Glenn Close appeared in one I remember, but beyond that I was obviously distracted. Nothing could have prepared me for the perfection of these stories. I have never read a collection that had such an impact. Chekhov's clear-eyed world view peers at tiny physical details in the lives of the characters to see into their souls. They are tragic heroes in common clothes.Chekhov looks on without judgment. His attitude is humane and liberal. No matter how foolish his subjects, his attitude is never condescending.I hadn't realized it until I finished Pevear's forward, but Chekhov begins to slip subtly into stream of consciousness in several stories. This and many other innovations make Chekhov a pivotal figure in fiction writing. He is certainly under appreciated at present.(I can't compare it, of course, but the P&V translation is another gift.)

Chekhov is the father of modern short stories. He is brilliant. Pevear and Volokhonsky are the greatest translators of Russian lit. If you compare stories w other translators, you see it.

I have known Chekhov's plays for many years, he reimagined dramatic theatre for the 20th century and is one of the greatest playwrights of all time. Playwright Bernard Shaw once said the experience of reading Chekhov's plays made him want to rip up his own plays because they were so good. Chekhov's plays are so popular with theatre goers your lucky if you can get a theatre ticket to see one because they have usually sold out within minutes. So what's the alternative if you can't get a theatre ticket to see a Chekhov play? You could read his plays of course or you could watch a film or television adaptation of his plays on Dvd. I became aware this year from purchasing this book that Chekhov is also regarded as the greatest short story writer of all time. Reading this book has confirmed my suspicions that Anton Chekhov was a genius. His sentences are careful, elegant, beautiful and artistic with deep perceptions about the human condition. No one was writing literature like this in the 19th century. His short stories and his plays changed and influenced the course of literature in the 20th century and he did it in a way that seemed almost effortless. Chekhov I think dabbled in drugs and alcohol, there's an air of Wilkie Collins in his writing style. Take for example the character of Masha in Chekhovs second play The Seagull, who in her boring life takes drugs and alcohol to pass the time and Chekhov was also a doctor, so he would have had access to morphine and other such drugs. The short story I found most interesting in this collection was The Black Monk were a character called Kovrin, who is also a genius, has a vision were a whirlwind appears and materialises into a black monk and starts up a conversation with Kovrin. It's interesting to me that Chekhov uses the word whirlwind before this apparition appears, I on occasion, half asleep, half awake, have had the irritating sensation of a whirlwind round my head which never formed into a apparition thank goodness. I think these are probably the greatest short stories ever written, the only other writer I think that could rival with him in the short story department would be Franz Kafka. The translaters have done a exemplary job with this book, you don't get a sense that you are reading the work of the translater but the writer himself Chekhov. A perfect book to read with a cup of coffee and some chocolate cup cakes, I would recommend it to anyone.

Brilliantly conceived,constructed and executed...the original master of the short story...still remarkably insightful and wise and still possesses the ability to disarm and disorientate...

These are very evocative stories and short - great if you lead a busy life and enjoy Chekhov

Some of the greatest short stories ever written by the author who defined the genre. It's an astonishing collection and a superb translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky. It really doesn't get any better than this.

Chekhov is one of my favorite writers. This selection of his stories is the book I keep at my bed side shelf, pick it up anytime and start reading from any page that opens. I am never tired of chekhov,he is never stale.I like the title cover also but for the label like patch in one corner. Wish it was not there. Nevertheless it's the contents that matter not the patch.