Complete Works of Anton Chekhov Quotes

“Sapping the foundations of civilisation, of authority, of other people’s altars, spattering them with filth, winking jocosely at them only to justify and conceal one’s own rottenness and moral poverty is only possible for a very vain, base, and nasty creature.”
― Anton Chekhov, Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

“People are not stupid because they can’t write novels, but because they can’t conceal it when they do,” he thought.”
― Anton Chekhov, Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

“When the young people had exchanged kisses they heard a sudden burst of laughter”
― Anton Chekhov, Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

“People who spend their lives in the midst of acacias, mulberries, and nettles have no passion for nature. It is only to the summer visitor that God has vouchsafed an eye for the beauties of nature. The rest of mankind remain steeped in profound ignorance of the existence of such beauties. People never prize what they have always had in abundance. “What we have, we do not treasure,” and what’s more we do not even love it.”
― Anton Chekhov, Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

“PLATONOV. She’s not going away. She’s decided to remain. VOINITZEV. Yes? In that case, hurrah! Here’s my hand, Mikhail Vassilyitch! (Presses Platonov’s hand.) I’ve always believed in your eloquence...”
― Anton Chekhov, Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

“How can you understand if you say that I don’t believe in family honour? I repeat once more: fa-mil-y ho-nour fal-sely un-der-stood is a prejudice! Falsely understood! That’s what I say: whatever may be the motives for screening a scoundrel, whoever he may be, and helping him to escape punishment, it is contrary to law and unworthy of a gentleman. It’s not saving the family honour; it’s civic cowardice!”
― Anton Chekhov, Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

“PLATONOV. Because I respect you! I respect my respect for you so deeply that I should be sorry to part with it! My friend, Pm a free man, Pm not opposed to having a good time, Pm not opposed to forming an intimacy with a woman, Pm not even opposed to well-conducted petty intrigues, but... to carry on a petty intrigue with you, to make you the object of my frivolous fancies, you, an intelligent, a handsome, a free woman... No! That’s too much to expect of me! Far better banish me out of your sight! To live stupidly together a month or two, then shamefacedly part company... it’s not to my liking!”
― Anton Chekhov, Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

“VENGEROVITCH I. H’m. Jew. It’s Jews this, and Jews that... I assure you, gentlemen, during my whole life I’ve not met a single Russian who gave money without a note. And I assure you that nowhere more than among dishonest Jews is there such a wide practice of lending of money without a note! May God kill me on the spot, if I lie! (He sighs.) You young people might learn a great deal, with profit to yourselves, from us Jews, and especially from old Jews...”
― Anton Chekhov, Complete Works of Anton Chekhov

“THE SEA-GULL A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS First produced in 1896, The Seagull is generally considered to be Chekhov’s first major play. It dramatises the romantic and artistic conflicts between four characters: the famous middlebrow story writer Boris Trigorin, the ingénue Nina, the fading actress Irina Arkadina and her son the symbolist playwright Konstantin Tréplev — now regarded by many as the playwright greatest male role.”
― Anton Chekhov, Complete Works of Anton Chekhov