Showing titles in Russian & Soviet

The Beauties: Essential Stories is a captivating collection that brings together some of the most remarkable and beloved works by the acclaimed Russian writer Anton Chekhov. This anthology showcases Chekhov's unparalleled talent for depicting the complexities of human nature, the intricacies of relationships, and the nuances of everyday life. Each story in this collection is a testament to Chekhov's unparalleled ability to capture the subtlest emotions and psychological depths of his characters.

Uncle Vanya is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897. The play portrays the visit of an elderly professor and his glamorous, much younger second wife, Yelena, to the rural estate that supports their urban lifestyle. Two friends—Vanya, brother of the professor's late first wife, who has long managed the estate, and Astrov, the local doctor—both fall under Yelena's spell while bemoaning the ennui of their provincial existence. Sonya, the professor's daughter by his first wife, who has worked with Vanya to keep the estate going, suffers from her unrequited feelings for Astrov.

Anton Chekhov belongs to the cohort of the most prominent Russian classics, together with Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Turgenev and Pushkin. The rankings of the most read authors, comprising the 'golden fund' of the world's literature, persistently include Chekhov alongside Charles Dickens, the Bronte Sisters, Mark Twain... Chekhov's plays, such as Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, and the short stories of this collection, are featured in the curriculum of faculties of philology of top global universities, such as University of Oxford, Harvard University and many more.

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics. Along with Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg, Chekhov is often referred to as one of the three seminal figures in the birth of early modernism in the theatre. Chekhov practiced as a medical doctor throughout most of his literary career: "Medicine is my lawful wife", he once said, "and literature is my mistress."

"A Happy Man" is a very funny and satiric story that tells us that happiness is easy and everything is in our hands. The action happens in the passenger train. One man tries to find his carriage, opening doors and saying "No, wrong again!" every time he misses. But suddenly he hears his name "Ivan Alexyevitch! What brings you here? Is it you?" It was his good mate Pyotr Petrovitch. They start chatting and Pyotr Petrovitch finds out that Ivan Alexyevitch has been married that day and he is coming straight away after the wedding.

"The Lady with the Dog" is a short story by Anton Chekhov. First published in 1899, it describes an adulterous affair between an unhappily married Moscow banker and a young married woman that begins while both are vacationing alone in Yalta.

In "A Nervous Breakdown", Vasilyev feeling distressed after his visit to few brothels for the first time. Guilt, disgust and shame and of that little voices debating inside his mind that lead him to a symptom of a nervous breakdown. A quirky storytelling, quite distressing but entertaining.

In The Doctor by Anton Chekhov we have the theme of loss, love, compassion, grief, acceptance, responsibility, selfishness and honesty. Taken from his The Collected Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story it becomes clear to the reader that Chekhov may be exploring the theme of loss.

"The Horse-Stealers" - a story by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. Written in 1890, first published in the magazine "New Time" No. 5061, April 1, 1890, signed Anton Chekhov.

"A Troublesome Visitor" is a story by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. Written in 1886, first published in 1886 in the Petersburg Newspaper No. 190 dated July 14, signed by A. Chekhonte.

"About Love" is an 1898 short story by Anton Chekhov. The third and final part of the Little Trilogy, started by "The Man in the Case" and continued by "Gooseberries". The story begins with the love affair between the cook of the house, Nikanor and servant (beautiful woman) Pelageya. Nikanor, who is a drunkard, often verbally abuses and even beats his lover Pelageya when he is drunk. So Pelageya only wants to live with him without getting married. On the other hand, Nikanor doesn't want to be with her without getting married.

In the story, "An Avenger", Anton Chekhov, explores the themes of infidelity, trust, revenge, shame and pride. Fyodor Sigaev catches his wife being unfaithful to him red-handed. He finds himself angry and outraged at a gun shop where he has thoughts of killing his wife, her lover and himself.

In "Difficult People," Anton Chekhov focuses on the dysfunctional family of a farmer, whose son Pyotr needs money to return to college in Moscow. The father is miserly and withholding, so a fight breaks out. Pyotr stalks out in misery, then waves cheerfully at a wealthy old woman who drives by in a landau.

The story was written during Chekhov's stay in Nice. It was first published on November 2, 1897, in issue No. 303 of Russkikh Vedomosti. Chekhov later included an edited version of the story in the ninth volume of his collection of works, published by Adolf Marx in 1899-1901.

"A Story Without a Title" is an 1888 humorous story by Anton Chekhov. In a remote 5th century monastery the monks live and toil, led by an elderly abbot. The old man likes to play the organ, write music and compose Latin verses but is famous most of all for his eloquence and fiery, inspirational monologues which leave everybody around him enchanted. Then one night a drunkard knocks the door of the gates, saying he'd got lost on his way and asking them to give him food and wine.

"The noble father and simpleton Shchiptsov, a tall, stocky old man, famous not so much for his stage talents as for his extraordinary physical strength, had a huge fight with the manager during the performance and in the midst of the swearing suddenly felt that something had snapped in his chest..

"Defenceless Creature" - a story by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. Written in 1887, first published on February 28, 1887 in the magazine Oskolki. The story describes with irony a stubborn man who achieves his goals by relying on the pity of those around him.

"Dead Body" is one of the stories by Anton Chekhov, a classic of world literature. The story is about two men serving and protecting a dead man. This story is based on an incident that happened to the author of the story in Zvenigorod.

Soon after two o'clock one night, long ago, the cook, pale and agitated, rushed unexpectedly into my study and informed me that Madame Mimotih, the old woman who owned the house next door, was sitting in her kitchen."She begs you to go in to her, sir..." said the cook, panting. "Something bad has happened about her lodger... He has shot himself or hanged himself...""What can I do?" said I. "Let her go for the doctor or for the police!""How is she to look for a doctor! She can hardly breathe, and she has huddled under the stove, she is so frightened... You had better go round, sir."

When several employees of the bank are arrested for corruption, the merchant Avdeyev doesn't give the ordeal much thought, figuring the men going to jail deserve it. His opinion changes however when he returns home to find his wife and son very upset - his house had just been searched by officials in connection to the bank corruption. Avdeyev had signed papers for the bankers without knowing what they were and so had essentially signed his life away by his carelessness. During the following trial, he learns the danger of being a "sheep" and just following along without a mind of his own.