The Beauties
Description
<b>'The uncontestable father of the modern short story... his stories are some of the best that have ever been written' <i>Guardian</i>
'Chekhov's genius lies in the way he manages to convey with such apparent effortlessness a profound sense of the mystery of beauty' Philip Pullman</b>
Chekhov was without doubt one of the greatest observers of human nature in all its untidy complexity. His short stories, written throughout his life and newly translated for this essential collection, are exquisite masterpieces in miniature. Here are tales offering a glimpse of beauty, the memory of a mistaken kiss, daydreams of adultery, a lifetime of marital neglect, the frailty of life, the inevitability of death, and the hilarious pomposity of ordinary men and women. They range from the lighthearted comic tales of his early years to some of the most achingly profound stories ever composed.
Reviews / Votes
This beautifully produced selection of the stories from Pushkin Press (in a new translation by Nicolas Pasternak Slater) is an ideal way to discover Chekhov. * The Times * The uncontestable father of the modern short story . . . his stories are some of the best that have ever been written. * Guardian * Near-perfect fiction, newly translated * Evening Standard * Mysterious and mesmerising, these stories stay enshrined in the memory * Daily Mail * The language is subtle and lovely, full of a regretful tenderness * Sunday Express * Chekhov's genius lies in the way he manages to convey with such apparent effortlessness a profound sense of the mystery of beauty, and of the sadness of those who observe and think . . . a masterpiece of minimalism -- Philip Pullman The greatest short story writer who has ever lived -- Raymond Carver In Chekhov literature seems to break its wand like Prospero, renouncing the magic of artifice, ceremony and idealisation, and facing us, for the first time, with a reflection of ourselves in our unadorned ordinariness as well as our unfathomable strangeness. -- James Lasdun An excellent gift for anyone who enjoys short stories in general or classic Russian literature in particular * East West Review * These are snapshots of flawed humanity viewed through a studied, concise lens. They were a pleasure to read * Never Imitate (blog) * This new Pushkin collection edition would be a perfect place to start [reading Chekhov]... I like Pasternak Slater's use of words and he has done a great job keeping the wry humour of Chekhov and also his sense of human nature * Winston's Dad (blog) *More details
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