Chekhov Short Story Thread

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Originally Posted by Quark

Of course. I love film adaptations. It was pretty good. I thought that was a particularly hard novel to do, though. The characters are so larger than life that it's hard not to be disappointed when you see some random twit actor playing Henchard.

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What twit actor? This is the one I saw and own - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L29y7-BaRDM
starring the fine actors Ciaran Hinds and Polly Walker, James Purfoy, and others as well. It's the best production out there in my view.

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Subforums are those forums within forums. The "Serious Discussion" section of the "General Chat" section is a subforum.

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Ok, then I get it.

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I floated the idea of user-started bookclub forum, but that didn't get much support. It looks like we'll have to stay in the author's forum for the time being.

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I think it's fine where is at if we keep it up to date...still shows up in "Today's Posts".

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I think it was before my time. There were a few stories before I got involved.

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Yeah, you probably weren't born yet. :lol:

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I'll check it out next time I'm at the library.

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Just don't spill coffee on the story!

[/quote]And good to see you. It's been a while.[/QUOTE] It has and wish I could report good health, but I think I am having a relapse of symptoms/infection today. I will probably have to call my doctor on monday, once again. Took antibiotics for 10 days, been off them over a week and now symptoms are back. Not sure what the answer is. This is very frustrating.

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Originally Posted by Janine

What twit actor? This is the one I saw and own - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L29y7-BaRDM
starring the fine actors Ciaran Hinds and Polly Walker, James Purfoy, and others as well. It's the best production out there in my view.

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The cast was quite good, but some of the characters in Hardy's novel lose something when you see them in person. Henchard is such a perfect representation of desire and ambition vying with personal affection in the novel, and I can't help feel that it loses something when you see Henchard as just some guy in the film. I think the actors and actresses did a fine job, though--especially for a film adaptation. Some of them can have some pretty wooden performances. I watched Dombey and Son the other day, and it was pretty intolerable--although the actor playing Carker was excellent.

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Originally Posted by Janine

Just don't spill coffee on the story!

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The library is lucky if they get the books back from me--let alone without marks or damage. I'm horrible with library books.

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Originally Posted by Janine

It has and wish I could report good health, but I think I am having a relapse of symptoms/infection today.

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Ugh. That's no good. Well, medicinal tea for you:

http://www.stockphotopro.com/photo-t...WGM_966225.jpg

I would just like to say that I really enjoyed "The Lady with the Little Dog." It had a mysterious ending as well.

I think one of the most important things to keep in mind while reading Chekhov is how wonderfully he is able to stick with his two main criteria for writing; it should be clear and to the point, and easily understood. He doesn't add extra fluff, he just tells brilliant stories. He brings you in a journey of falling in love with the wrong person at the wrong time and realizing that you will not ever again be satisfied unless you make that the right person and this the right time

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Originally Posted by Expounder

This thread is for the overall discussion of Chekhov and his short stories. I happen to be a big fan of Chekhov, and am willing to discuss the themes, enigmas, and ironies of his stories with this forum community. I'd like to start with Rothschild's Violin, since it's my favorite Chekhov story thus far (I play violin, so maybe that's why!). I'll let someone else start the discussion, so I can have the opportunity to read people's insights without my interference.

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Rothchild's Fiddle is an excellent story some one said( I think it was Gorky ) that Chekhov could compress a life time into ten pages, how right he was. Two of of my favorites has always been Ward 6 and A Boring Story. His characterization is superb I think it was his greatest strength as a writer.

I picked up a selection of Chekhov stories a few days ago at a used book store. Maybe this thread will motivate me to read them.

On Chekhov:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Chekhov

201 Stories by Anton Chekhov (This looks like a preciosity):
http://www.eldritchpress.org/ac/jr/

I read Chekhov's story, "Vanka", last night. It is here in your list Danik: http://www.eldritchpress.org/ac/jr/095.htm The translation's different, but it looks like the full story. It was about five pages.

Vanka is very young. His parents are now both dead and he only has a grandfather who has positioned him as an apprentice to a shoemaker. This seems like a good choice but Vanka feels abused by his master and he is lonely. He wants to go home and writes a letter to his grandfather explaining his problems and asking to be taken home. Vanka's mother taught him to read, but he was inexperienced in sending letters. Perhaps the letter arrived, perhaps not. We are left with Vanka putting his letter in a box without return address nor with very clear directions where to deliver the letter. It was likely lost, but he was happy and with hope he went to sleep on that Christmas Eve after the others left him to go to midnight Mass.

I think this list contains all his stories. I read "The Orator" and "Misery" and the translation seemed to be very fluent.
"The Orator" is a very funny story, sort of dark Russian humour."Misery" is a very sad but very realistic story.
I got the impression that you like the story of Vanka.

Yes, I liked the story. I could feel empathy for Vanka wondering what happened to him after reading that story. Yesterday I read "The Privy Councilor" next in the book I have: http://www.eldritchpress.org/ac/jr/063.htm It is about a family who receives a visit from a brother who has some high government role. There is something wrong with the brother, perhaps dementia, and he gets himself into a lot of trouble with the family and the servants associated with it. The story is told from the perspective of a boy who doesn't understand what is going on, but gives the reader enough information to guess.

I'll read "The Orator" and "Misery". The collection I have only has 28 stories in it. ("The Portable Chekhov")

I liked "The Privy Councilor" very much. A touching story, told with humour and sensibility. I think you are right, the councelor keeps forgetting names and persons. And in his innocence he reveals something that would have remained hidden if he hadn´t visited his sister.

"The Orator" and "Misery" were as you described them. In "Misery", at least he could talk to his horse.

I´m starting to like Chekhov's realism much more than I did before. And the translations of this thread are fluent. I intend to read all the stories, bit by bit.

I plan to read them all as well. I started "A Calamity" yesterday but got distracted. It is called "A Misfortune" here: http://www.eldritchpress.org/ac/jr/073.htm

Whoever owned the book before highlighted the following of the 28 selected stories. This is like a selection of a selection, so I will read them first, in case I don't make it through all of them:

Vanka
A Calamity
The Chameleon
The Culprit
Heartache
The Letter
The Name-Day Party
Anna on the Neck
About Love
The Darling
The Lady With the Pet Dog
At Christmas Time

I liked the suggestions of Eldrich Press too. Maybe I shall interpolate the reading with other texts too enjoy the stories better.
I read "A Misfortune" but I much prefer "The Privy Councilor". It´s more original. There are so many 19/20 C literary stories about women who commit adultery out of boredom.