The Bishop and Other Stories [Hardcover]

Anton Chekhov (Author), 1stWorld Library (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2006

Purchase one of 1st World Library's Classic Books and help support our free internet library of downloadable eBooks. Visit us online at www.1stWorldLibrary.ORG - - The evening service was being celebrated on the eve of Palm Sunday in the Old Petrovsky Convent. When they began distributing the palm it was close upon ten o'clock, the candles were burning dimly, the wicks wanted snuffing; it was all in a sort of mist. In the twilight of the church the crowd seemed heaving like the sea, and to Bishop Pyotr, who had been unwell for the last three days, it seemed that all the faces - old and young, men's and women's - were alike, that everyone who came up for the palm had the same expression in his eyes. In the mist he could not see the doors; the crowd kept moving and looked as though there were no end to it. The female choir was singing, a nun was reading the prayers for the day. How stifling, how hot it was! How long the service went on! Bishop Pyotr was tired. His breathing was laboured and rapid, his throat was parched, his shoulders ached with weariness, his legs were trembling. And it disturbed him unpleasantly when a religious maniac uttered occasional shrieks in the gallery. And then all of a sudden, as though in a dream or delirium, it seemed to the bishop as though his own mother Marya Timofyevna, whom he had not seen for nine years, or some old woman just like his mother, came up to him out of the crowd, and, after taking a palm branch from him, walked away looking at him all the while good-humouredly with a kind, joyful smile until she was lost in the crowd. And for some reason tears flowed down his face.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Russian (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: 1st World Library - Literary Society (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1421810077
• ISBN-13: 978-1421810072
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT series of books, June 16, 2011

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goldmoonday - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Bishop and Other Stories (The Tales of Chekhov) (Paperback)

I admit I'm a big fan of Russian lit, and these Chekhov short stories (from this volume and all the other volumes) are one of the reasons why. They are lovely, quirky, sensitive, insightful, funny, and give a marvelous glimpse into Russian life from a century-plus ago. I prefer the Constance Garnett translations (a less common preference). It seems Russian scholars think she's a bit old-school, but I like the way she captures the charm of the time.

My bookseller was Summanulla books, and I can't say enough good things about the person from whom I ordered. He was patient, thorough, and extremely helpful. My books arrived on time, packed with meticulous care. This seller will be my first stop for all future book purchases.