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Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov's short story, 'A Trivial Incident', is a prime example of the author's commitment to exploring the psychological implications of human behavior. In particular, Chekhov skillfully uses the narrative structure to evoke a range of emotional responses from the reader, in order to illustrate how an apparently insignificant moment can be deeply meaningful and transformative. Read in English, unabridged.

Max Bollinger

Interactive Media

Short Stories by Anton Chekhov

A Trivial Incident

"Zinotchka" is a short story by Anton Chekhov that follows a group of sportsmen discussing love and hatred during an evening in a peasant's hut. One of the men shares his personal experience of being passionately hated by a young governess named Zinotchka when he was just a child. As he recounts the story, he reveals how he stumbled upon a secret rendezvous between Zinotchka and his elder brother Sasha. The young boy, relishing in his power to expose their secret, blackmails Zinotchka, causing her great distress. However, his actions ultimately lead to her departure from their household and her eventual marriage to his brother. Despite the passage of time, the narrator reveals that Zinotchka still harbors lingering animosity towards him, highlighting the enduring nature of both love and hatred. Read in English, unabridged.

Zinotchka

In the short story "Bad Weather" by Anton Chekhov, a rainy summer day sets the stage for a series of misunderstandings and emotional turmoil within a family. The story revolves around Kvashin, a lawyer, his wife Nadyezhda Filippovna, and his mother-in-law. As the rain pours outside, Kvashin stays in the town due to his aversion to bad weather. Left alone, Nadyezhda and her mother spend their time playing cards and worrying about Kvashin's well-being. The mother-in-law is concerned about Kvashin's absence and believes that the weather is a punishment from God. Nadyezhda expresses her worry for her husband, lamenting the fact that he is alone without any domestic help in their town apartment. They both long for his presence and decide that Nadyezhda will travel to the town the next day to check on him. "Bad Weather" portrays the complexities of human relationships and the fragility of trust. It highlights how external circumstances, such as bad weather, can influence emotions and actions, leading to misunderstandings and deception. Chekhov's masterful storytelling captures the nuances of human behavior and the power dynamics within a family, leaving the reader pondering the consequences of such deceitful acts. Read in English, unabridged.

Bad Weather

"A Gentleman Friend" by Anton Chekhov follows the story of Vanda, a young woman in dire circumstances. She contemplates the idea of seeking financial help from a gentleman friend, knowing they would be willing to assist her.Unable to gain entry into the "Renaissance" due to her shabby appearance, Vanda decides to visit the lodgings of a dentist named Finkel. Read in English, unabridged.

A Gentleman Friend

"The Chorus Girl" by Anton Chekhov portrays a dramatic encounter between a married woman and a chorus girl named Pasha. As the story unfolds, Nikolay Petrovitch Kolpakov, Pasha's adorer, is present in her summer villa. The atmosphere is oppressive due to the heat, and both characters eagerly await the respite of an evening walk. Suddenly, the doorbell rings, surprising Pasha. She expects to find the postman or one of her female friends, but instead, a young and beautiful stranger enters. Clearly distressed, the woman asks if her husband, Nikolay Petrovitch Kolpakov, is present. Pasha denies any knowledge of her husband's whereabouts, leading to a tense exchange between the two women. "The Chorus Girl" delves into themes of deception, betrayal, and the consequences of one's actions. It highlights the power dynamics between individuals of different social statuses and explores the complex emotions that arise from such encounters. Chekhov's poignant narrative serves as a reflection on human nature and the lingering effects of choices made in moments of desperation. Read in English, unabridged.

The Chorus Girl

Constance Garnett

The Duel by Anton Chekhov is a story about two men who have a longstanding feud and decide to finally settle the score with a duel. The story is written in a way that allows the reader to get inside the minds of both characters, and we see the events unfold from each man's perspective. The duel is ultimately anticlimactic, and the two men part ways with a sense of mutual respect.

Expat Riate

Anncona Media AB

The Duel

The master of the factory school maintained at the expense of the firm of Kulikin, was getting ready for the annual dinner. Every year after the school examination the board of managers gave a dinner at which the inspector of elementary schools, all who had conducted the examinations, and all the managers and foremen of the factory were present. In spite of their official character, these dinners were always good and lively, and the guests sat a long time over them; forgetting distinctions of rank and recalling only their meritorious labours, they ate till they were full, drank amicably, chattered till they were all hoarse and parted late in the evening, deafening the whole factory settlement with their singing and the sound of their kisses.

William Tomcho

The Schoolmaster and Other Stories

Unhappy in his marriage, a Moscow bank worker, Dmitri Gurov is vacationing in Yalta, Crimea, where he sees a young lady walking along the seafront with her small dog. They are soon engaged in an affair, and spend most of their time together walking and taking drives to Oreanda . Returning to Moscow and his daily routine, working by day and clubbing by night, Gurov expects to soon forget young Anna but finds he is haunted by her memory. Read in English, unabridged. Music by Frederic Chopin from Anton Kingsbury's album 'Classical Chillout: Chopin'.

The Lady with the Dog

Grisha, a fat, solemn little person of seven, was standing by the kitchen door listening and peeping through the keyhole. In the kitchen something extraordinary, and in his opinion never seen before, was taking place. A big, thick-set, red-haired peasant, with a beard, and a drop of perspiration on his nose, wearing a cabman’s full coat, was sitting at the kitchen table on which they chopped the meat and sliced the onions. He was balancing a saucer on the five fingers of his right hand and drinking tea out of it, and crunching sugar so loudly that it sent a shiver down Grisha’s back.

The Cook's Wedding and Other Stories

My whole being from head to heels is bursting with a strange, incomprehensible feeling. I can't analyse it just now—I haven't the time, I'm too lazy, and there—hang analysis! Why, is a man likely to interpret his sensations when he is flying head foremost from a belfry, or has just learned that he has won two hundred thousand? Is he in a state to do it? This was more or less how I began my love-letter to Sasha, a girl of nineteen with whom I had fallen in love.