Product Description

'the greatest short story writer who has ever lived' Raymond Carver's unequivocal verdict on Chekhov's genius has been echoed many times by writers as diverse as Katherine Mansfield, Somerset Maugham, John Cheever and Tobias Wolf. While his popularity as a playwright has sometimes overshadowed his achievements in prose, the importance of Chekhov's stories is now recognized by readers as well as by fellow authors. Their themes - alienation, the absurdity and tragedy of human existence - have as much relevance today as when they were written, and these superb new translations capture their modernist spirit. Elusive and subtle, spare and unadorned, the stories in this selection are among Chekhov's most poignant and lyrical. They include well-known pieces such as 'The Lady with the Little Dog', as well as less familiar work like 'Gusev', inspired by Chekhov's travels in the Far East, and 'Rothschild's Violin', a haunting and darkly humorous tale about death and loss.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #384472 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Caryl Emerson, Princeton University
"Bartlett's Chekhov is a masterpiece of texture and rhythm. Not a false word anywhere."

Review
...outstanding translations of a selection of Chekhov's stories... (Robert Chandler, Literary Review )

Bartlett's Chekhov is a masterpiece of texture and rhythm. Not a false word anywhere. (Caryl Emerson, Princeton University )

Seventeen peerless examples of how much life you can put into a few pages of fiction if you have Chekhovs economical mind, his eyes and ears, his feel for comedy and his sense of humanity. Chekhov is better known for his plays. But these are small masterpieces of their own, in a revelatory new translation. (Economist )

Caryl Emerson, Princeton University
"Bartlett's Chekhov is a masterpiece of texture and rhythm. Not a false word anywhere."

Customer Reviews

A very Entertaining collection
This is one of the most enjoyable books I ever read. The odd characters made it all the more funny. Being a recent peruser of Russian books and having developed an interest in them, I am up and ready for more Russian stories. The stories are deep, witty and humorous in a classic way. The Usurper and Other Stories, Master Man and other Stories, Union Moujik-- are fine and hilarious books to read.