Description

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This captivating collection of short stories, selected from works written during Chekhov's prolific period, displays those qualities for which the Russian author and playwright is famous: a natural aptitude for detail, dialogue, humor, and compassion.
The six masterfully executed tales, reprinted here in the authoritative Constance Garnett translation, include The Darling, a poignant piece supporting the claim that life has no meaning without love; The Kiss, a fanciful confection recounting an officer's brief encounter with an unknown woman; as well as Anna on the Neck, The Man in a Case, The Malefactor, and the title story.
As noted by author John Barth, Chekhov is a superb anatomist of the human heart and an utter master of his literary means. The details of scene and behavior, the emotions registered -- seldom bravura, typically muted and complex, often as surprising to the characters themselves as to the reader but always right -- move, astonish, and delight us line after line, story after story.

About the Author

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Next to Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) is the most popular playwright in the English-speaking world. The Russian physician also wrote a series of remarkable short stories, in which he pioneered the stream-of-consciousness narrative technique.