Gregson Nash’s Reviews > The Four Major Plays: The Seagull / Uncle Vanya / Three Sisters / Cherry Orchard > Status Update

uncle vanya was wonderful. there’s some really powerful stuff here between astrov and yelena, and between uncle vanya and sonya. that final line- that final monologue- it’s really good. i’m gonna put this book aside for a little while. but i’m excited to come back to it.

“we will rest!” (145)

damn act 2 is lit. love everythng in this chapter. every character interaction, moment, arc, etc. Astrov is such a wonderful and layered character, his interactions with sonya are elegant and entrancing.

“You should understand that the world will end, not because of war, or dis-asters, but because of hate. Because of hatred for our fellow man, and all the petty, little violences we inflict on each other” (106).

after a momentary hiatus, i’m back and beginning Uncle Vanya. i enjoy it so far. the doctor is vain and fun, and i find vanya’s dry bleakness oddly delightful. it doesn’t connect to me as deeply as the first act of the The Seagull did, but it is still excellent, and i’m happy to be reading again.

jesus. what an ending. i love this show. the seagull is brilliant. what an excellent introduction to chekhov. he knows what he’s doing and he knows exactly how to write an ending that makes me just want to sit, and stew in this awful feeling. 1/4 down. here’s to the rest of the them.
“… a man arrives by chance, and when he sees her, he destroys her, out of sheer boredom” (79).

act 3 is killer. i love trigorin and nina. i love treplev and arkadina. it’s really good.

"If you should ever need my life, it is yours for the asking… Why does this make me feel so sad, make my heart beat faster, this simple little girl's romantic appeal? If you should ever need my life, it is yours for the asking” (59).

damn, act 2 does not come to play. its excellent. sorin and masha’s brief exchanges are wonderful and dorn throughout the entire chapter is hilarious. constantine’s lament is really powerful and abrupt and i kinda love it, and nina’s conversation and resulting several monologues from trigorin is very nice-although i think it runs a little long and could use minor cutting down. brilliant act. chekhov cooked

act 1 is really quite good. its so simple but its so well done, and i adore the language in Templev’s play. and also quoting hamlet was well welcome.

“I am alone. Once in a hundred years, I open my lips to speak, and my voice rings in this empty wasteland. No one hears” (31).

favorite quotes so far:
“…’through tears.’ Chekhov felt that this direction encouraged the actor not to cry but to continue speaking - to forge ahead through a state of great emotion, to fight against the urge to cry.” (7)
“My gentle reader will please forgive me, but the people in Chekhor's plays want to fuck each other.” (9)