Reading Russian literature from the Nineteenth Century is a fantastic way to get a feel for life in pre-revolutionary Russia. However, much Russian literature can be extremely dense for the novice, with thick description and character lists as long as your army. Enter Anton Chekhov, the accessible way to enjoy some Russian writing. Chekhov's style is both sparse and modern, light on description but heavy on analogy and metaphor. It is an ideal introduction to Russia at the turn of the century.
"About Love and Other Stories" is a collection of short stories written by Chekhov around the 1890s. His writings take the theme of love from a range of different perspectives and we are given fleeting glimpses into the lives of the Russian nobility at the end of the great Tsarist regime. The stories cover themes of alienation, despair and the absurdity of human existence. They are as powerful and relevant today as when they were originally written. The collection includes Chekhov's more well-known pieces such as "The Lady with the Little Dog", as well more obscure works such as "Rothschild's Violin", a "haunting and darkly humorous tale about death and loss." My personal favourite is "The Letter" in which a father is given advice on reining in his errant son. You can read the whole story HERE. Indeed, the majority of Chekhov's works are available free online, however the translation in this edition by Rosamund Bartlett is especially good!
The book is available from Amazon HERE. Do comment and let me know what you think!
Mr F
"About Love and Other Stories" is a collection of short stories written by Chekhov around the 1890s. His writings take the theme of love from a range of different perspectives and we are given fleeting glimpses into the lives of the Russian nobility at the end of the great Tsarist regime. The stories cover themes of alienation, despair and the absurdity of human existence. They are as powerful and relevant today as when they were originally written. The collection includes Chekhov's more well-known pieces such as "The Lady with the Little Dog", as well more obscure works such as "Rothschild's Violin", a "haunting and darkly humorous tale about death and loss." My personal favourite is "The Letter" in which a father is given advice on reining in his errant son. You can read the whole story HERE. Indeed, the majority of Chekhov's works are available free online, however the translation in this edition by Rosamund Bartlett is especially good!
The book is available from Amazon HERE. Do comment and let me know what you think!
Mr F
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