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A review by oofym
The Complete Short Novels by Anton Chekhov
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Chekhov is such a consistently good writer, I was very pleased with this collection - especially considering he's known for his plays and his short stories rather than his novellas; but he should be as equally know for them because these are also pure quality.
The Steppe: 4.25 Stars
-Truly the most beautifully written of the bunch; especially when Chekhov describes anything related to nature. At first when I finished this I was a bit let down by the ending, but I quickly realised the sub title isn't "The story of a journey" for no reason. The steppe is about the process we can all relate to, fixating on a destination only to discover that the journey was the most important part.
The Duel: 4.5 stars
-Really surprised by how much of a blast I had with this one, Chekhov's character writing Is on full display here. I felt like every character was a scene stealer, and yet they were all in the same scenes. The character of Von Koren, the questioning of rationality as a belief, the showcasing of man's ability to constantly change and of course the empathy for humans that runs through all of Chekhov's writing; I loved it all. I'd say out of all the stories this one was the best for pure entertainment.
Three years: 3.5 stars
-Unfortunately I'm going to have to say this was the weakest, but even then 3.5 is a positive rating for me.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between the "protagonist" and his wife, it was heartbreaking and yet hopeful at the same time. But I wish Chekhov did a little more with this one, I suppose its more of a social critique than an entertaining or affecting story.
Story of an unknown man:
4 stars
-One of the more tragic stories in this collection, I'll admit my thoughts are a bit foggy on this one as I was drinking while reading it, but hey I gave it 4 stars at the time and read it all in one sitting, so I'm sure it's good. This one felt the most like a Dostoevsky story, a broken woman, an overly conscious man, a slow spiral to the end. I also remember really enjoying the prose in it. Gotta reread this story sometime to freshen up my memory.
My life: 4.75 stars
-This one tore me up, if "The story of unknown man" was tragic in an entertaining way, then "My life" was just depressingly tragic. Maybe it's because this story focused on a major fear of mine, or maybe it's because the ending is so incredibly moving and melancholic; but I'd wager this will be the story that I remember the most. It's a story about how people we love can hurt us or leave us, but not always through maliciousness, sometimes they truly don't mean to, or they just wanted to go down a different path in life.
"My life" was a borderline tear-jerker.
The Steppe: 4.25 Stars
-Truly the most beautifully written of the bunch; especially when Chekhov describes anything related to nature. At first when I finished this I was a bit let down by the ending, but I quickly realised the sub title isn't "The story of a journey" for no reason. The steppe is about the process we can all relate to, fixating on a destination only to discover that the journey was the most important part.
The Duel: 4.5 stars
-Really surprised by how much of a blast I had with this one, Chekhov's character writing Is on full display here. I felt like every character was a scene stealer, and yet they were all in the same scenes. The character of Von Koren, the questioning of rationality as a belief, the showcasing of man's ability to constantly change and of course the empathy for humans that runs through all of Chekhov's writing; I loved it all. I'd say out of all the stories this one was the best for pure entertainment.
Three years: 3.5 stars
-Unfortunately I'm going to have to say this was the weakest, but even then 3.5 is a positive rating for me.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between the "protagonist" and his wife, it was heartbreaking and yet hopeful at the same time. But I wish Chekhov did a little more with this one, I suppose its more of a social critique than an entertaining or affecting story.
Story of an unknown man:
4 stars
-One of the more tragic stories in this collection, I'll admit my thoughts are a bit foggy on this one as I was drinking while reading it, but hey I gave it 4 stars at the time and read it all in one sitting, so I'm sure it's good. This one felt the most like a Dostoevsky story, a broken woman, an overly conscious man, a slow spiral to the end. I also remember really enjoying the prose in it. Gotta reread this story sometime to freshen up my memory.
My life: 4.75 stars
-This one tore me up, if "The story of unknown man" was tragic in an entertaining way, then "My life" was just depressingly tragic. Maybe it's because this story focused on a major fear of mine, or maybe it's because the ending is so incredibly moving and melancholic; but I'd wager this will be the story that I remember the most. It's a story about how people we love can hurt us or leave us, but not always through maliciousness, sometimes they truly don't mean to, or they just wanted to go down a different path in life.
"My life" was a borderline tear-jerker.