Customer Reviews

The Complete Short Novels (Everyman's Library)

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There is nothing more aesthetically pleasing than to surrender to the artifice of a master. One is deeply comforted in reading this collection of well-translated works. Chekhov reproduces human perception and experience with brilliant precision and insight. His deeply felt compassion and empathy lead him to an art that captures the consciousness of the most refined and the most tortured of souls. In "The Steppe," for instance, he almost cinematically creates the image of the Russian plains as a living being that casts its life force on a humble wagon train and a young boy crossing its great distances. This truly brilliant artist also compellingly and dramatically describes a mighty thunderstorm in such powerful strokes that one is utterly spellbound and engrossed in its fearsome energy. In "The Story of an Unknown Man," a consumptive servant narrates the events of his weak nihilistic upper-class master who is incapable of love. His master willfully torments a beautiful young woman who has sacrificed her marriage to come live with him, but in doing so, has condemned herself to his cynical disrespect. Before the age of tape recorders, Chekhov has recorded dialog in this work that is thoroughly authentic and captures underlying psychological motives and unconscious forces that push these people to the breaking point. But the narrator too is an intimate character in this work and finds himself drawn into the life of his employer. This subtle change is handled with such skill that one is completely convinced of its reality. Here's where Chekhov's artifice produces magic. Its choice of detail, its dialog, its plot, its events all combine to sculpt a living experience, one that will never die. Chekhov's art is immortal. I invite every reader to partake of this satisfying feast that has been created for us. Not only are all these short novels worth every minute of your time, but you will feel the power of true art when you read them and perhaps you will never again settle for anything less.

This collection of short stories of Chekhov, is mighty fine for anyone wanting to brush up on some great stories, or complete their collection of Russian literature. And like every Everyman book, you got your nice binding and tassle, what more could be asked for???!

I figured I'd go through the stories one by one

THE STEEPE - Probably one of the most poetic and dreamy stories I have ever read. I really enjoyed the scenes and the way Chekhov describes the countryside as a young boy travels along a cart running into many characters. Pure poetry.

THE DUEL - One of the most popular duel stories and scenes (not counting Hero of Our Time, or The Idiot) in all of Russian literature. A great microcosom of 2 individuals who end up resorting to pistols.

THE STORY OF AN UNKNOWN MAN - It is mentioned in the introduction that this is one Chekhov's least known stories. And it's too bad cause this one was EASILY MY FAVORITE suprisingly. A spy infiltrates a house as a servant, and through the course of knowing the inhabitants and the people who frequent the home, he develops a different mindset to his original agenda.

THREE YEARS - I found this still entertaining but it was my least favorite of the 5.

MY LIFE - Is a great story of a man renounces wealth and social position for a life of manual labor, but it's the conflict he has with his father over it that creates some great writing that Chekhov handles masterfully.

I was very pleased with the content of this addition, and I massively enjoyed Chekhov as a writer. He has some great stuff, and this collection is just the perfect thing.

For the characters of THE STEPPE, travel is via a britzka. Deniska is the coachman, driver. Egorushka is the boy going to school. Others present are Father Khristofor and Ivan Ivanych Kuzmichov. When the party rests, a stranger appears, Titus. Later Egorushka is transferred to a wagon train where he is able to sleep. He goes fishing, kisses icons, and tells a storekeeper he is the nephew of Ivan Ivanych. The travelers eat kasha from a cauldron at the inn. Later they pass Armenian farms. In the end Egorushka's great aunt is found and he is left with her.

THE DUEL confronts the issue that it is possible to fall out of love. Laevsky challenges the idea that it is his duty to marry his paramour, to marry without love. One of the observers thinks the duel will be trifling, ridiculous. One of the principals mentions Pushkin and Turgenev.

In THE STORY OF AN UNKNOWN MAN, Orlov's new servant, the narrator, has consumption. He is a retired Navy lieutenant. He notices that Orlov prepares his irony in the way a savage raises his shield. Being a servant is a new life for the narrator. (His action has a political purpose. Orlov is the son of a statesman.) Orlov's mistress comes to live with him. She wants Orlov's apartment to smell of cooking he thinks. Orlov is accused of responding to her love with irony, with coldness. The supposed servant writes to Orlov explaining how they have both fallen. Things take a curious turn.

THREE YEARS finds Laptev waiting for Yulia Sergeevna to pass by after vespers. His sister has cancer and she is a friend. Laptev confuses Yulia by asking her to marry him. He is not loved, but his proposal is accepted. Having a young wife, Laptev feels later that he is being ignored by his wife and his guests. He is bold at picture exhibitions. After the Laptev baby dies, Yulia retreats to the wing of the house to weep until she becomes accustomed to grief. Laptev believes he has no courage, no resilience, no strength of will.

Finally there is MY LIFE. A young man, Misail Alexeich Poloznev tells his father a social position is the privilege of capital and education. He loves reading and theater. He makes a painter take him on as an assistant. Misail lives among the workers. A former neighbor tells Misail not to approach her. Becoming a worker, Misail sees the town life from the underside. He is told by a well-bred lady, Marya Viktorovna, that at least he is evading boredom and idleness. Masha's engineer father calls him Mr. Housepainter and approves of him. He receives a summons to see the governor. He is advised his activity is inconsistent with his rank of a nobleman. Missail marries Masha. They move to the country to farm her estate. They build a school. There are other developments, some involving Misail's sister Cleopatra. Some of the characters in the novel are carried away by life and by love.

There are notes at the end of the book to help the reader. I grew used to the new translations and came to value them as I read through this handsome volume of Chekhov's works. (I do not know Russian and I am not an expert regarding the translation of literature.)