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Gusev
*Illustrated
*Includes Table of Contents
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) may have suffered an untimely death, but he squeezed the most out of his 44 years of life. Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be one of the greatest writers in history, particularly in the genre of short stories.
Chekhov’s major innovation near the end of the 19th century was in what became known as “stream-of-consciousness” writing, in which he eschewed common traditional story structure and simply wrote as though he was thinking aloud. Renowned writers like James Joyce and William Faulkner would eventually run with this theme, producing classics in the same vein. Chekhov was one of Russia’s most famous and popular writers in his time, producing well-received works like The Lady with the Dog and The Bishop.
This edition of Chekhov’s short story, Gusev, is specially formatted with a Table of Contents and is illustrated with over a dozen pictures of Chekhov.
*Includes Table of Contents
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) may have suffered an untimely death, but he squeezed the most out of his 44 years of life. Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be one of the greatest writers in history, particularly in the genre of short stories.
Chekhov’s major innovation near the end of the 19th century was in what became known as “stream-of-consciousness” writing, in which he eschewed common traditional story structure and simply wrote as though he was thinking aloud. Renowned writers like James Joyce and William Faulkner would eventually run with this theme, producing classics in the same vein. Chekhov was one of Russia’s most famous and popular writers in his time, producing well-received works like The Lady with the Dog and The Bishop.
This edition of Chekhov’s short story, Gusev, is specially formatted with a Table of Contents and is illustrated with over a dozen pictures of Chekhov.
35 pages
First published January 1, 1890
2 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Anton Chekhov
5,951 books9,853 followers
Antón Chéjov
(Spanish)
Dramas, such as The Seagull (1896, revised 1898), and including "A Dreary Story" (1889) of Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, also Chekov, concern the inability of humans to communicate.
Born ( Антон Павлович Чехов ) in the small southern seaport of Taganrog, the son of a grocer. His grandfather, a serf, bought his own freedom and that of his three sons in 1841. He also taught to read. A cloth merchant fathered Yevgenia Morozova, his mother.
"When I think back on my childhood," Chekhov recalled, "it all seems quite gloomy to me." Tyranny of his father, religious fanaticism, and long nights in the store, open from five in the morning till midnight, shadowed his early years. He attended a school for Greek boys in Taganrog from 1867 to 1868 and then Taganrog grammar school. Bankruptcy of his father compelled the family to move to Moscow. At the age of 16 years in 1876, independent Chekhov for some time alone in his native town supported through private tutoring.
In 1879, Chekhov left grammar school and entered the university medical school at Moscow. In the school, he began to publish hundreds of short comics to support his mother, sisters and brothers. Nicholas Leikin published him at this period and owned Oskolki (splinters), the journal of Saint Petersburg. His subjected silly social situations, marital problems, and farcical encounters among husbands, wives, mistresses, and lust; even after his marriage, Chekhov, the shy author, knew not much of whims of young women.
Nenunzhaya pobeda , first novel of Chekhov, set in 1882 in Hungary, parodied the novels of the popular Mór Jókai. People also mocked ideological optimism of Jókai as a politician.
Chekhov graduated in 1884 and practiced medicine. He worked from 1885 in Peterburskaia gazeta.
In 1886, Chekhov met H.S. Suvorin, who invited him, a regular contributor, to work for Novoe vremya, the daily paper of Saint Petersburg. He gained a wide fame before 1886. He authored The Shooting Party , his second full-length novel, later translated into English. Agatha Christie used its characters and atmosphere in later her mystery novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd . First book of Chekhov in 1886 succeeded, and he gradually committed full time. The refusal of the author to join the ranks of social critics arose the wrath of liberal and radical intelligentsia, who criticized him for dealing with serious social and moral questions but avoiding giving answers. Such leaders as Leo Tolstoy and Nikolai Leskov, however, defended him. "I'm not a liberal, or a conservative, or a gradualist, or a monk, or an indifferentist. I should like to be a free artist and that's all..." Chekhov said in 1888.
The failure of The Wood Demon , play in 1889, and problems with novel made Chekhov to withdraw from literature for a period. In 1890, he traveled across Siberia to Sakhalin, remote prison island. He conducted a detailed census of ten thousand convicts and settlers, condemned to live on that harsh island. Chekhov expected to use the results of his research for his doctoral dissertation. Hard conditions on the island probably also weakened his own physical condition. From this journey came his famous travel book.
Chekhov practiced medicine until 1892. During these years, Chechov developed his concept of the dispassionate, non-judgmental author. He outlined his program in a letter to his brother Aleksandr: "1. Absence of lengthy verbiage of political-social-economic nature; 2. total objectivity; 3. truthful descriptions of persons and objects; 4. extreme brevity; 5. audacity and originality; flee the stereotype; 6. compassion." Because he objected that the paper conducted against [a:Alfred Dreyfu
Dramas, such as The Seagull (1896, revised 1898), and including "A Dreary Story" (1889) of Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, also Chekov, concern the inability of humans to communicate.
Born ( Антон Павлович Чехов ) in the small southern seaport of Taganrog, the son of a grocer. His grandfather, a serf, bought his own freedom and that of his three sons in 1841. He also taught to read. A cloth merchant fathered Yevgenia Morozova, his mother.
"When I think back on my childhood," Chekhov recalled, "it all seems quite gloomy to me." Tyranny of his father, religious fanaticism, and long nights in the store, open from five in the morning till midnight, shadowed his early years. He attended a school for Greek boys in Taganrog from 1867 to 1868 and then Taganrog grammar school. Bankruptcy of his father compelled the family to move to Moscow. At the age of 16 years in 1876, independent Chekhov for some time alone in his native town supported through private tutoring.
In 1879, Chekhov left grammar school and entered the university medical school at Moscow. In the school, he began to publish hundreds of short comics to support his mother, sisters and brothers. Nicholas Leikin published him at this period and owned Oskolki (splinters), the journal of Saint Petersburg. His subjected silly social situations, marital problems, and farcical encounters among husbands, wives, mistresses, and lust; even after his marriage, Chekhov, the shy author, knew not much of whims of young women.
Nenunzhaya pobeda , first novel of Chekhov, set in 1882 in Hungary, parodied the novels of the popular Mór Jókai. People also mocked ideological optimism of Jókai as a politician.
Chekhov graduated in 1884 and practiced medicine. He worked from 1885 in Peterburskaia gazeta.
In 1886, Chekhov met H.S. Suvorin, who invited him, a regular contributor, to work for Novoe vremya, the daily paper of Saint Petersburg. He gained a wide fame before 1886. He authored The Shooting Party , his second full-length novel, later translated into English. Agatha Christie used its characters and atmosphere in later her mystery novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd . First book of Chekhov in 1886 succeeded, and he gradually committed full time. The refusal of the author to join the ranks of social critics arose the wrath of liberal and radical intelligentsia, who criticized him for dealing with serious social and moral questions but avoiding giving answers. Such leaders as Leo Tolstoy and Nikolai Leskov, however, defended him. "I'm not a liberal, or a conservative, or a gradualist, or a monk, or an indifferentist. I should like to be a free artist and that's all..." Chekhov said in 1888.
The failure of The Wood Demon , play in 1889, and problems with novel made Chekhov to withdraw from literature for a period. In 1890, he traveled across Siberia to Sakhalin, remote prison island. He conducted a detailed census of ten thousand convicts and settlers, condemned to live on that harsh island. Chekhov expected to use the results of his research for his doctoral dissertation. Hard conditions on the island probably also weakened his own physical condition. From this journey came his famous travel book.
Chekhov practiced medicine until 1892. During these years, Chechov developed his concept of the dispassionate, non-judgmental author. He outlined his program in a letter to his brother Aleksandr: "1. Absence of lengthy verbiage of political-social-economic nature; 2. total objectivity; 3. truthful descriptions of persons and objects; 4. extreme brevity; 5. audacity and originality; flee the stereotype; 6. compassion." Because he objected that the paper conducted against [a:Alfred Dreyfu
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
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May 21, 2025لا أعلم لما أحب أن اقرأ كتب أنطون تشيخوف الكئيبة :)!!
August 6, 2023
Eu me interessei por "Gusev" ao me deparar com uma entrada no diário do poeta Kornei Chukovsky, 1882-1969, que diz o seguinte: "As pessoas afirmam que Tchekhov odiava a vida, que ele era um pessimista, um resmungão. Calúnia! A história mais sombria dele é harmoniosa. Seu mundo é elegante, perfeito, encantador de uma maneira feminina. 'Gusev' é mais perfeito do que qualquer coisa que Tolstói tenha escrito. Tchekhov é o mais melodioso, o mais musical de todos os escritores. Quando você lê 'Gusev', não consegue acreditar que aqueles poucos pedaços de papel contenham..." O que achei interessante é que não consegui encontrar nenhuma tradução do conto em português.
"Gusev" trata de um camponês russo que está navegando de volta para casa após cinco anos de serviço militar no Oriente, enquanto sofre de tuberculose. Deitado em sua rede na enfermaria do navio, ele conhece Pavel, um cínico educado com formação eclesiástica, que também está morrendo. Com alguns outros soldados doentes ou moribundos jogando cartas ao fundo, Gusev e Pavel comparam suas vidas, opiniões e ideias religiosas. Eles também dormem muito. Ambos os homens desejam chegar logo em casa. Gusev anseia por ver sua vila e sua família, que ocupam seus muitos sonhos febris; Pavel quer incitar uma revolução. No entanto, nenhum deles consegue alcançar seu objetivo. Em uma progressão de três atos, primeiro um dos jogadores de cartas - um personagem chamado Stepan - depois Pavel e finalmente Gusev morrem e são lançados ao mar. A história termina enquanto o corpo de Gusev desce pelo oceano e é libertado de seu caixão de pano pela ação de um tubarão. Enquanto isso, o céu explode em um pôr do sol cujas cores são refletidas na água. A história tem cerca de quinze páginas e é dividida em cinco seções numeradas. É narrada por um narrador em terceira pessoa, principalmente a partir da perspectiva de Gusev.
"Gusev" trata de um camponês russo que está navegando de volta para casa após cinco anos de serviço militar no Oriente, enquanto sofre de tuberculose. Deitado em sua rede na enfermaria do navio, ele conhece Pavel, um cínico educado com formação eclesiástica, que também está morrendo. Com alguns outros soldados doentes ou moribundos jogando cartas ao fundo, Gusev e Pavel comparam suas vidas, opiniões e ideias religiosas. Eles também dormem muito. Ambos os homens desejam chegar logo em casa. Gusev anseia por ver sua vila e sua família, que ocupam seus muitos sonhos febris; Pavel quer incitar uma revolução. No entanto, nenhum deles consegue alcançar seu objetivo. Em uma progressão de três atos, primeiro um dos jogadores de cartas - um personagem chamado Stepan - depois Pavel e finalmente Gusev morrem e são lançados ao mar. A história termina enquanto o corpo de Gusev desce pelo oceano e é libertado de seu caixão de pano pela ação de um tubarão. Enquanto isso, o céu explode em um pôr do sol cujas cores são refletidas na água. A história tem cerca de quinze páginas e é dividida em cinco seções numeradas. É narrada por um narrador em terceira pessoa, principalmente a partir da perspectiva de Gusev.
July 17, 2021
Cechov parla di morte.
Lui che di solito parla delle piccolezze dei vivi.
Non si può non pensare a Tolstoy e ai suoi grandi racconti sulla morte, “La morte di Ivan Ilich” e “Tre morti”.
La differenza è nella totale assenza di una dimensione spirituale o metafisica che alla morte dia un senso.
Cechov ne era totalmente privo.
Per questo il suo racconto è così terrificante.
Totalmente, unicamente, tristemente umano.
Lui che di solito parla delle piccolezze dei vivi.
Non si può non pensare a Tolstoy e ai suoi grandi racconti sulla morte, “La morte di Ivan Ilich” e “Tre morti”.
La differenza è nella totale assenza di una dimensione spirituale o metafisica che alla morte dia un senso.
Cechov ne era totalmente privo.
Per questo il suo racconto è così terrificante.
Totalmente, unicamente, tristemente umano.
June 16, 2013
The sad truth of this contemplative tale is that millions of people around the world experience the message of "Gusev" every day, breathing their final breaths in apparent meaninglessness, amidst highly-varying degrees of concern from others (be it from family or hospital room mates, who show little to no concern), and in a wide range of mental states (passive, aggressive, delusional, angry, etc.). "Gusev" portrays just a small sampling of two such men doomed to die soon aboard a meaningless Russian boat.
Thought provoking.
May our own lives find more meaning that Chekov offers here. In response, I posit that the "meaningful meaning" that we all so achingly long for, especially in our dying days, can only come from a worldview centered around a well-intending divine creator. Otherwise, life is indeed meaningless--Upon which scrap of cosmic dust or random chaos can meaning otherwise be claimed or based?
Strongly recommended for those willing to reflect deeply on one brief, but very widespread, shared experience of life's most certain destination: death without meaning.
Thought provoking.
May our own lives find more meaning that Chekov offers here. In response, I posit that the "meaningful meaning" that we all so achingly long for, especially in our dying days, can only come from a worldview centered around a well-intending divine creator. Otherwise, life is indeed meaningless--Upon which scrap of cosmic dust or random chaos can meaning otherwise be claimed or based?
Strongly recommended for those willing to reflect deeply on one brief, but very widespread, shared experience of life's most certain destination: death without meaning.
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March 9, 2013I have read so many short stories of Chekhov, but this one is saddeningly exceptional in which Chekhov portrays the bitter feeling which is a combination of homesickness and illness.
July 13, 2021
When it's time, you won't have much time but you will have many wishes, many desires. You won't want to be gone, you will hunt for courage, for time, and you will get none. Death is the rude reality that everyone faces. Even Gusev, a wounded soldier, who doesn't fear death, only fears about his old parents, eventually falls into the trap of death.
Chekhov's stories are simple, short, clean, and heartwarming. This one is saddening, tells about the rude reality of what we don't want but can't also escape.
Chekhov's stories are simple, short, clean, and heartwarming. This one is saddening, tells about the rude reality of what we don't want but can't also escape.
January 1, 2024
узнала про этот рассказ из эссе Вирджинии Вульф Modern fiction: «The conclusions of the Russian mind, thus comprehensive and compassionate, are inevitably, perhaps, of the utmost sadness».
много вспоминала Имени такого-то Линор Горалик, которая мне ужасно не понравилась. в обеих книгах корабль в вечном море, умирающие больные и предсмертный бред. 17 страниц Чехова, на мой взгляд, успевают сказать гораздо больше, чем сотни страниц Горалик
много вспоминала Имени такого-то Линор Горалик, которая мне ужасно не понравилась. в обеих книгах корабль в вечном море, умирающие больные и предсмертный бред. 17 страниц Чехова, на мой взгляд, успевают сказать гораздо больше, чем сотни страниц Горалик
June 18, 2025
Oh how I love Omniscient POVs. It’s a quiet, deeply emotional story about two men named Gusev and Pavel, who are sick and sailing home from military service. Gusev is this quiet, simple guy, almost childlike, and Pavel is angry and serious. They both deal with death in completely different ways. Pavel wants to fight everything, even as he’s dying. Gusev, though, just kind of accepts it in this peaceful way. At first, I thought Gusev was too naive, maybe even dull. But as the story went on, I realized that Chekhov wasn’t trying to show who was right or wrong. He was showing how different people carry the weight of their lives and their deaths. Gusev’s peace becomes something really moving by the end. What really stuck with me is the way Chekhov describes death, not as something terrifying, but almost beautiful and freeing. The last scene is incredibly poetic, and even though it’s sad, it also feels weirdly peaceful. I didn’t expect a story like this to affect me so much but it did.
November 22, 2022
Not sure what it's about as a whole. But I love the sick dreamy atmosphere, the metaphor of the Ship and the Sea, and the mesmerising colours of the finale. For some reason (from another translation) I seem to have mistakenly remembered the ending being the blood and guts of Gusev's body due to the Shark and fishes spreading out in entropy rather than the light from the Sunrise. Or maybe Chekhov intended the two imageries to blend together.
November 28, 2021
Che tu sia il figlio di un ecclesiastico orgoglioso di avere sempre detto la verità e di avere fatto arrabbiare tutti, o un semplice soldato che sogna il pane quando esce dal forno, non c'è scampo, la morte ci attende.
"La vita non si ripete, è necessario farne buon uso"
Cechov si sta allontanando dall'influenza di Tolstoy.
"La vita non si ripete, è necessario farne buon uso"
Cechov si sta allontanando dall'influenza di Tolstoy.
June 24, 2019
Rather short and not one I particularly liked, but still decent. Read because it was referenced on Eudora Welty's On Writing.
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January 15, 2020Well that was boring.
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May 20, 2020 — read for a class —
i’m very mixed on how i feel about this one
i’m very mixed on how i feel about this one
October 1, 2021
Interesting, but for a short story very slow paced.
September 30, 2024
weirdly liked this one?? even tho it was russian and historical ??
February 1, 2026
A simple but thought-provoking piece on mortality, perspective, and life’s fulfillment
February 5, 2026
“You sort of go, ‘What? It’s still going on? The guy’s dead. He’s still asked to endure these indignities!’ It’s a really cruel ending, and I like that.” - Norm Macdonald
May 14, 2025
chekov's pony
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews