Anton Chekhov: 470 books

Obviously he was born a mouse catcher, a worthy son of his bloodthirsty ancestors. Fate had destined him to be the terror of cellars, store-rooms and cornbins, and had it not been for education . . .

The death of a government clerk is a short humoristic story which was published in 1883. In this story the author raises the problem of a "little" man. In the article there are only three persons: a government clerk, a wife of the clerk and a general Brizzhalov. The main hero is a government...

This story was written in 1886. Vanka Zhukov was a Nine-year-old boy who was an orphan and he was a pupil of the shoemaker - Alyakhin. His grandfather was watchman in the mansion of some gentlefolk called Zhivarev. On the eve of Christmas Vanka decided to write a letter to his grandfather. In the...

The charming Vanda, or, as she was described in her passport, the “Honourable Citizen Nastasya Kanavkin,” found herself, on leaving the hospital, in a position she had never been in before: without a home to go to or a farthing in her pocket. What was she to do?

"Joy" is a funny story by content and sad in itself. It was a great short story that focused on the very different responses to the indiscretion of the main hero. The main hero of the story Mitya with excited face bursted into a room of his parents, woke them up and cried that all Russia...

Checkhov says truth and falsehood both play an important role in personal happiness of men. Could this also be the cause of both passionate romance and failed relationship between an impoverished Russian prince and a rich landowner? This story examines the very essence of human psychology providing valuable insight into complexities of such concepts as happiness, deception, romance and depression.

The party of sportsmen spent the night in a peasant’s hut on some newly mown hay. The moon peeped in at the window; from the street came the mournful wheezing of a concertina; from the hay came a sickly sweet, faintly troubling scent. The sportsmen talked about dogs, about women, about first love, and about snipe.

“A Happy Man” is a very funny and satiric story that tells us that happiness is easy and everything is in our hands. The action happens in the passenger train. One man tries to find his carriage, opening doors and saying “No, wrong again!” every time he misses. But suddenly he hears his name...

One must never judge by appearances! Look at this book: it has long ago been read. It is warped, tattered, and lies in the dust uncared for; but open it, and it will make you weep and turn pale. My sister is like that book. Lift the cover and peep into her soul, and you will be horror-stricken.

An idle artist meets a woman and her two daughters while traveling the Russian countryside. The eldest daughter, Lida, is strong-minded and purposeful, intent on her mission to better the lives of the local peasants. Unlike her elder sister, the younger daughter, Genya, is sweet and simple. But when...

Bishop Pyotr was tired. His breathing was laboured and rapid, his throat was parched, his shoulders ached with weariness, his legs were trembling. And it disturbed him unpleasantly when a religious maniac uttered occasional shrieks in the gallery. And then all of a sudden, as though in a dream or delirium,...

In the Grasshopper we find a love triangle. Olga, her rather boring husband preoccupied with his work, and a young artist. Olga craves the excitement of the artistic life and finds a new lease on romance with the colourful landscape designer, who takes her on a cruise. But not all is going to plan in...

Big raindrops were pattering on the dark windows. It was one of those disgusting summer holiday rains which, when they have begun, last a long time—for weeks, till the frozen holiday maker grows used to it, and sinks into complete apathy. It was cold; there was a feeling of raw, unpleasant dampness....

One day when she was younger and better-looking, and when her voice was stronger, Nikolay Petrovitch Kolpakov, her adorer, was sitting in the outer room in her summer villa. It was intolerably hot and stifling. Kolpakov, who had just dined and drunk a whole bottle of inferior port, felt ill-humoured...