The Selected Letters of Anton Chekhov

by Anton Chekhov, Lillian Hellman

The letters of Anton Chekhov, like those of Flaubert, are astonishing in their immense range and in their literary quality. Beginning in 1885, when Chekhov was twenty-five, and ending with his death less than twenty years later, the correspondence testifies to an extraordinary career. Chekhov was not only a writer but a critic, a doctor, a traveler, a devoted lover and brother. He brings his passions and his immense talent to every subject. As witty and observant as his great plays and stories, Chekhov's letters exemplify his artistry and humanity.

In 1890, though already suffering from tuberculosis, he traveled to the prison colonies of Siberia and Sakhalin Island. His descriptions of that arduous journey are sharp, humorous, and vividly detailed. Sympathy and a quick dramatic eye characterize his portraits of the people of the Russian countryside.

Chekhov speaks with eloquence and determination in his defense of Emile Zola during the Dreyfus affair (a stand which cost him one of his closest friendships), in his vigorous criticisms of the various productions of his plays -- especially the famous stagings by Konstantin Stanislavski --and in all his dealings with the other writers and critics of the Russian literary and theatrical world. In these letters this public and private man reveals his compassion and vulnerability as he records the vicissitudes of his family life, his love for the actress Olga Knipper (whom he eventually married), and the tragic breakdown of his health.

Genres: Nonfiction, Russian Literature, 19th Century, Literature, Russia

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

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

Reviews

[Steven Godin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My interest in literary letters has gone up by 100% in the past few weeks, after reading Rainer Maria Rilke's war letters, Scott & Zelda's love letters, and now Chekhov's, I can see a whole world of literary letters opening up right before my eyes! They are just so fascinating, but that of course comes down to who is writing them, from what country, and from what era. I thank my dear friend Ilse for also recommending Flaubert's letters, which are just as wonderful as these, and I hope to read many more in the foreseeable future.

These Chekhov letters start in 1885 and finish in the year of his death in 1904, and apart from the odd moment when he loses his temper, he comes across as a pleasant, sharp-witted, kind and generous man, who gave pity where it was due, but whom also had a tough, unsentimental side when need be. He also came across as slightly neurotic, and even though he did complain a lot about his ailments and money struggles, his mood was generally bright, and he put so much passion into even the most simplistic of letters. Even though these letters give much insight into Chekhov's life at the time, not everything about him is known to us, and most of what is, can still not be fully understood. Most of the letters are to members of his family and friends, with Maxim Gorky being one of the more recognized names. I found the letters from his time spent in Yalta at the end of the 19th century particularly fascinating, and the correspondence with his wife Olga Knipper.

I hope to go back over some of the letters and expand on the review, as there is still so much to touch on. With a great passion for Chekhov, this book was simply a joy to read.

[Tatyana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad translation. Anton Chekhov in his letters called his wife with all kind of cute names, the most famous of which is "the crocodile of my soul" ("крокодил души моей") in this book is translated as "a little crocodile who has crawled into my heart!". The farther -- the worse:
“Doggie, my sweet pooch”(“ Собачка, милый мой песик,”) is mistranslated as "My kitten, my little kitten"
"My little crocodile, my phenomenal (exceptional) wife" (“ Крокодильчик мой, жена моя необыкновенная ”) is mistranslated as "My little crocodile, my unusual wife". "Unusual" ?

"My little bedbug" (“Клопик мой”) is mistranslated as just "my bug".

And so on and so on.

[Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating life of a turn of the century literary giant. His humanity and perception shine through. His travels across Europe give context to social upheaval, and his medical background and extensive contacts with major figures are enlightening.

[Jason Allen Ashlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading for Hellman's introduction alone.

[Alec · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chekhov is a brilliant playwright, but while his plays are filled with pathos and unspoken longing, his letters are more quotidian.