The Beauties
Essential Stories
Published on 30. November 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-1-80533-030-1 (ISBN)
Description
The essential edition of the greatest stories by the Russian master of the form
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.
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
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 * The language is subtle and lovely, full of a regretful tenderness * Sunday Express * Mysterious and mesmerising, these stories stay enshrined in the memory * Daily Mail * 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 * 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
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pushkin Press
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
206 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80533-030-1 (9781805330301)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Book
10/2017
Pushkin Press
€34.86
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Previous edition
Book
10/2017
Pushkin Press
€34.86
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was born in Taganrog, Russia, the son of a grocer. While training as a physician he supported his family with his freelance writing, composing hundreds of short comic pieces under a pen name for local magazines. He went on to write major works of drama, including The Seagull, Uncle Vanya and The Cherry Orchard, but continued to write prize-winning short stories up until his death from tuberculosis at the age of 44.