The Comic Stories

By Anton Chekhov

Book Overview

The first substantial volume in English devoted solely to the full range of Chekhov's comic mastery-forty stories in all, employing a variety of techniques and twists, and all with a sense of fun and infectious good humor. Tolstoy, who disliked Chekhov's plays, was reduced to helpless fits of laughter by his comic stories. Translated from the Russian and with an Introduction by Harvey Pitcher. Penetrating social satire and trenchant character analysis....In story after story, Chekhov displays techniques-especially the use of a few telling details to suggest a whole-that he would later employ to stunning effect. -Philip Gambone, New York Times Book Review

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566632420
• ISBN13: 9781566632423
• Release Date: February 1999
• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.1" x 5.6"

Customer Reviews

Delightful tidbits from the Master

Chekhov wrote all of these stories under a pseudonym, some of them while he was still in medical school. Until his death, he denied being their author; perhaps he did not want to spoil his image with these bits of humor, or perhaps he did not want to spoil these stories' frivolity by attaching a name like Chekhov to them. Unlike the dark, brooding impression of Chekhov one may get from some of his plays, these stories are lively, lighthearted and often hilarious. All are short -- some as short as just a page or two -- but all will have clever endings, even for readers not familiar with Chekhov or with his specific Russian brand of humor. Many of the stories are not meant to be laugh-out-loud funny, but are comic in the more classical sense, bringing forth clever observations and juxtapositions in a seemingly familiar world. These are highly recommended either as a supplement to Chekhov's better known works, or as an easy introduction to his writings.