The Duel and Other Stories (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Anton Chekhov (Author), Ronald Wilks (Translator, Contributor)

Book Description

Series: Penguin Classics | Publication Date: June 5, 1984

A further collection of stories by Anton Chekhov (1860-1904). consists of "The Duel", "Murder", "The Wife", "The Black Monk", "Terror" and "Big Volodya and Small Volodya", and complements two existing anthologies of short stories, "Lady With Lapdog and Other Stories" and "The Kiss and Other Stories".

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Russian (translation)

About the Author

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian short story writer, playwright, and physician, considered to be one of the greatest short story writers in the history of world literature. His career as a dramatist produced four classics---The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard---and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics alike. Initially, Chekhov wrote stories solely for financial gain, but as his artistic ambition grew, he made formal innovations that have influenced the evolution of the modern short story. His originality consists in an early use of the stream-of-consciousness technique, later adopted by James Joyce and other modernists, combined with a disavowal of the moral finality of traditional story structure. He made no apologies for the difficulties this posed to readers, insisting that the role of an artist was to ask questions, not to answer them. Chekhov published over a hundred short stories, including "The Duel," "In Exile," "On Official Business," "The Bishop," and "The Cobbler and the Devil." William Dufris began his audio career doing radio plays, audiobooks, film/animation dubbing, and language tapes in London, where he lived for thirteen years. While there, he had the honor of sharing the microphone in a number of BBC Radio plays with Kathleen Turner, Sharon Gless, Stockard Channing, and Helena Bonham-Carter. These experiences led him to cofound two audio production companies: The Story Circle Ltd. and Mind's Eye Productions. He has also acted on stage and television in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. William is the original voice of Bob (and Farmer Pickles/Mr. Beasley/Mr. Sabatini) in the popular children's show Bob the Builder for the United States and Canada (Series 1–9). He produces, directs, acts and engineers for his audio theatre company, Rocky Coast Radio Theatre. He has been nominated nine times as a finalist for the APA's prestigious Audie Award and has garnered twenty-one Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine, which also named him one of the Best Voices at the End of the Century, as well as one of the Best Voices of the Year in 2008 and 2009.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (June 5, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140444157
• ISBN-13: 978-0140444155
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,436,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of The Duel and Other Stories, July 11, 2003

By 

Richard Deem (unfortunately, Bloomington, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Duel and Other Stories (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Having read several of chekhov's plays, I decided to read some of his stories. In reading the stories you will see, I think, that it is obvious he was also a playwrite. This is because of Chekhov's amazing ability to compress someone's entire life, all their feelings and emotions into, in some cases, 20 pages. There were 6 stories in all, but I will just review the 3 I like best, though I'm not saying the other stories are bad, just not as good.

The Duel is the main and longest story, but I don't really think it was the best. It is the story about a man in the Caucasus and his troubles with his wife and a biologist which culminates in a duel. All the characters are excellently written, and the story was very well done, but the end leaves much to be desired, and seems like he tried too quickly to wrap up the story. It could have been almost a masterpiece, but the faulty ending really ruined it.

My Wife was a very good story about a man who, after having married a woman who does not love him, struggles with the situation they have put themselves in, living in different parts of the same house and hardly ever speaking. I really liked this one and it reminded me very much of some of his plays.

The Black Monk was my favourite story, it is about a young scholar, idolized by his adopted father and bride to be, who suffers from maglomania, and sees hallucinations. Finally, when he is cured, he is no longer the same person, acting cruel and spiteful towards the people he once loved.It was incredibly done and you really feel for all the characters. I think it best shows off Chekhov's ability as a writer.
This book is definitely a good introduction to chekhov's short works and shows you that he was more than a playwrite

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Duel, a review, November 14, 2001

By 

Todd Baron (hollywood, ca United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Duel and Other Stories (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

"The Duel" by Anton Chekhov, is a classic exploration of the human mind. One reason I would recommend this book is it's moral. This book is an incredible story told through the eyes and minds of many completely different people all striving for the same thing; to forget the days they lost and make the best of the days they still have. This is a good wake up call to all those who waste time, telling then to appreciate the little things and not waste life on petty squabbles. But most importantly, it's intriguing story. Anton Chekhov pits a general, an adulterous doctor, a zoologist, a deacon, and a mistress against each other in a small town in the Caucasus. He tells the story through their eyes, and the reader find out all of these people, whether they are in love, friends, rivals, or just acquaintances, all just wish for wings to fly away and escape the tediousness of everyday life. All this centers around the hatred between the zoologist and the doctor which eventually explodes into a duel. When faced with possibility, the doctor comes to reason with his faults and his future and in the face of death, he resolves his life and what he must do to make his life right.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great (short) novel, December 4, 2001

By 

A Reader (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Duel and Other Stories (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Those seeking a dramatic duel should go for A Hero of Our Time. This, like the best Russian literature, is about how to live, a drama of outlooks on life and love. The superficial couple at the story's centre are less offensive than most of the "respectable" figures. The zoologist in particular, is truly shocking in his callous view of "inferiors". Only the character of the doctor is absolutely likeable. In its evocation of the stultifying atmosphere of a time and place, this is both lyrical and profound. ...