| I had heard that Anton Chekhov was an exceptional writer. I recently ran across a reference to his short story, “The Lady with the Dog,” in another book and finally decided to give him a try. This collection of short stories is exceptional in many ways. The first thing you will notice is that the works demonstrate that the author has a depth of human experience that other authors simply don’t have or demonstrate. His subject matter is of serious human emotions. |
The book contains nine short stories about infatuation, obsession, love, envy and loss. “The Lady with the Dog” is about a man who becomes infatuated with a married woman who he sees walking a dog. “A Doctor’s Visit” is a social commentary on the working and managerial class; this is appropriate for a Russian writer. I found “An Upheaval” to be a little less interesting. It is about a woman who believes one of her servants stole an expensive bauble.
One of my favorites was “Ionitch.” In this fascinating story, a local doctor falls in love with a younger woman at a house that he frequents socially. When he admits his love for her, she tells him about her goals in life and how being his wife would not fit with her plans. To find out what happens further, you will have to read this marvelous tale.
“The Head of the Family” is about a drunk man treating his child in a mean spirited way around a dinner table and his subsequent realization of his wrong doing. One of the weirder stories was about a man who believes he sees a phantom monk who tells him he is special. It is called “The Black Monk.”
“Volodya” is about a young nerdy kid who becomes obsessed with an older woman. She is his mother’s friend. She teases him and verbally abuses him when he responds. The consequences of her interactions with him make this story great.
“An Anonymous Story” is the lengthiest story in the book. Using the fact that a man’s mistress decides to abandon her husband and move in unexpectedly with her lover, Chekhov explores a multitude of human frailties. All the characters in the book contribute to this fascinating and sad tale.
The last story is about a town that is visited by the calvalry. While the officers are on leave, the townspeople put together a party. It is there that the conflict between a husband and wife begins. I think the stories in this book are interesting and well written. I recommend it to any serious reader of literature.
