Chekhov Short Story Selection - High School Edition (Revised Edition)

Author: (Russian) Chekhov
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-06-01
Features: Chekhov was a short story writer with a unique style. Leo Tolstoy said: "Chekhov is an 'incomparable artist.'" Thomas Mann asserted: "Without a doubt, Chekhov's art belongs to the 'most powerful and outstanding' category in European literature." Hemingway also highly praised Chekhov's art: "People tell me that Katherine Mansfield wrote some good short stories, even some very good ones; but after reading Chekhov, her works seem like listening to a story told by a wise and learned doctor, then hearing a story desperately concocted by a young, elderly spinster." More interestingly, Katherine Mansfield, known as the "English Chekhov," was also deeply impressed by Chekhov. In a letter to her husband, she wrote: "I would trade all of Maupassant's works for one short story by Chekhov." In a note, she wrote: "If all French short stories were burned to the ground, but this short story ('Sufferings') remained, I would not regret it." In China, Chekhov was also highly revered. Mao Dun once called on writers to learn from Chekhov's "sharp observational skills," "highly concentrated and concise artistic expression," and "refined language." On January 29, 1860, Chekhov was born in Taganrog. He died on July 15, 1904, in a sanatorium in Badenweiler, Germany. His ancestors were serfs; his grandfather redeemed himself and his family's personal freedom in 1841. His father ran a grocery store, but after going bankrupt in 1876, he worked as a clerk. Chekhov endured great hardships in his childhood and himself said he "had no childhood." In 1879, the diligent Chekhov studied medicine at Moscow University with a scholarship. In 1884, after graduation, he began practicing medicine in the suburbs of Moscow. This gave him the opportunity to interact with various people, such as peasants, landlords, officials, and teachers, broadening his horizons. Chekhov's literary career began in 1880. The 1880s in Russian history was a period of rampant reactionaries, with a suffocating social atmosphere. Amusing newspapers catering to the petty bourgeoisie emerged. At that time, the young Chekhov, pressed for livelihood, often used the pseudonym Chekhont to contribute to popular humorous publications, publishing a large number of tedious and frivolous pieces, such as "A Dishonest Mirror" and "Mysterious Characters." But compared to the many contributors to the numerous frivolous newspapers catering to the petty bourgeoisie, the young Chekhov had a sharper gaze and a healthier sense of humor.