Anton Chekhov (1860 - 1904)

     ⋮   Audio version below

Anton Chekhov grew up in Taganrog, Russia. His father was a grocer and his family experienced financial instability throughout his childhood, a topic he later explored in his writing. Chekhov was accepted into medical school in 1879, but also published short stories in order to stabilize his finances. His work as both a physician and author provided him with unique insight into the human psyche. In 1901, he married Olga Kipper, an actress who often performed his work. Diagnosed with tuberculosis at a young age, Chekhov died of the disease in 1904. He famously quipped, “It’s been a long time since I’ve had champagne” as his final words, a reference to doctors’ practice of giving a drink to patients they knew they could not save. Chekhov is considered to be one of the fathers of the modern short story, although he is also well-known as a playwright.

In his own lifetime, some critiqued Chekhov’s work for not having a clear moral or political message. Instead, Chekhov, an adherent to literary realism, focuses on embodying the realities of everyday life and the complicated psychological states of his characters. While his short stories are the focus in this anthology, interested readers should also consider exploring his plays, especially his masterpieces Uncle Vanya (1899), The Three Sisters (1900), and The Cherry Orchard (1904).