Lady with the Little Dog and Other Stories, 1896-1904
Anton Chekhov
Language: English
Pages: 384
ISBN: 0140447873
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
An enchanting collection of tales which showcase Anton Chekhov at the height of his power as a writer
In the final years of his life, Chekhov produced some of the stories that rank among his masterpieces, and some of the most highly-regarded works in Russian literature. The poignant 'The Lady with the Little Dog' and 'About Love' examine the nature of love outside of marriage - its romantic idealism and the fear of disillusionment. And in stories such as 'Peasants', 'The House with the Mezzanine' and 'My Life' Chekhov paints a vivid picture of the conditions of the poor and of their powerlessness in the face of exploitation and hardship. With the works collected here, Chekhov moved away from the realism of his earlier tales - developing a broader range of characters and subject matter, while forging the spare minimalist style that would inspire such modern short-story writers as Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner.
In this edition Ronald Wilks's translation is accompanied by an introduction in which Paul Debreczeny discusses the themes that Chekhov adopted in his mature work. This edition also includes a publishing history and notes for each story, a chronology and further reading.
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decided, looking at his sister’s shapely figure. ‘What shall I do?’ As he pondered and asked himself this question, his life struck him as an extremely complicated muddle. All these problems – the journey, his sister, his wife, his brother-in-law – each one of them taken separately might possibly be resolved very easily and conveniently, but they were terribly jumbled up and it was like being stuck in a swamp from which there was no climbing out. Only one of them had to be solved for the others
God, of immortality, of the miraculous. I refused to admit that I and my imagination would perish for ever after death. ‘Yes, people are immortal. Yes, eternal life awaits us,’ I replied. And she listened and believed – and she did not ask for proof. When we were going back to the house she suddenly stopped and said: ‘Lida’s a remarkable person, isn’t she? I love her dearly and I would readily sacrifice my life for her. But tell me,’ Zhenya continued, touching my sleeve with her finger, ‘tell me
Varieties of Seeing (1994). He also co-edited Chekhov’s Art of Writing: A Collection of Critical Essays (1977). ANTON CHEKHOV The Lady with the Little Dog and Other Stories Translated with Notes by RONALD WILKS With an Introduction by PAUL DEBRECZENY PENGUIN BOOKS PENGUIN BOOKS Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Putnam Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Books Australia Ltd, 250 Camberwell
‘then you sit with your mama, so I have no chance to talk to you. Please spare me a mere quarter of an hour. I beg you!’ Autumn was approaching and all was quiet and sad in the old garden; dark leaves lay thick on the paths. Already the evenings were drawing in. ‘I haven’t seen you the whole week,’ Startsev continued. ‘If you only knew what hell I’ve been through! Let’s sit down. Please listen to what I have to say.’ Both of them had their favourite spot in the garden – the bench under the
timidly yet passionately. She kissed and embraced Masha. Not knowing how to express her joy she told her, ‘He’s a good man, so good!’ Before leaving she changed into her ordinary clothes and led me into the garden to talk to me in private. ‘Father’s very upset you didn’t write,’ she said. ‘You should have asked for his blessing. But he’s actually very pleased with you. He says that this wedding will raise your social status and that, under Masha’s influence, you’ll take things more seriously.