The Black Monk and Peasants [Mass Market Paperback]

Anton Chekhov (Author), Ronald Wilks (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1995

This book contains two of Chekhov's stories about Russian life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Russian dramatist and short story writer, Chekhov brought both the short story and the drama to new eminence in Russia and eventually in the Western world. He is regarded as the outstanding representative of the late 19th-century Russian realist school. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 90 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (July 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0146000366
• ISBN-13: 978-0146000362
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 3.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,682,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful and Moving Story, October 10, 2000

By 

"kingsransom" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Black Monk (Hardcover)

This story has all the mystery of a parable, all the breadth of high Russian literature and the richness of a dream. A ghost-like figure haunts a rather Romantic protagonist, arriving in the form of a column of darkness that resolves into a hooded monk and begins to communicate with the hero about the nature of humanity in the world. As a picture of insanity, and yet a terrible descent into understanding, Chekhov's story is a powerful tribute to Russian and Catholic folklore as well as a portrait of the lone intellectual becoming immersed in asceticism. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Master of the Short Story, October 14, 2010

By 

CJA "CJA" (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Black Monk (Hardcover)

Chekhov is the master of the short story, and this collection does him justice. Although "The Black Monk" and "Peasants" are perhaps the most famous stories, I think the "House with the Mezzanine" (sometimes translated as the "House with the Mansard") is the best in the collection. It is a story about the surprise of falling in love and ends with a beautiful passage about missing one's old love. It's very short length and emotional power are vintage Chekhov.

The "Black Monk" is a very intriguing story. It touches on the fine line between madness on the one hand and happiness and spirituality on the other. It's an extraordinary story with remarkable psychological insights. There is no neat resolution, but given the subject matter I don't think there can be a neat resolution.

If this is your first reading of Chekhov, you might want to try a collection with shorter pieces -- or you may want to start with "The House with the Mezzanine" so you can get hooked. Otherwise, read this and as many other collections of Chekhov as you can.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars sometimes ambiguity only confuses, May 29, 2008

By 

James A. Means - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Black Monk (Commuter's Library S.) (Audio Cassette)

Chekhov wrote some fine tales--"Peasants" probably being the best of the bunch. But I found the parable of "The black Monk" one of the most unsatisfying stories I have read. I am left not knowing what the norms of the story are: are we supposed to sympathize with the protagonist or reject his perversity? Is he a hero of sensibility victimized by ordinary people, or is he merely crazy and destructive? Who knows? As the story stands, I find it impossible to say. When a story leaves you straddling a razor, I think it is not a success.