Anton Chekhov is considered by many as one of the greatest short story writers of all-time. In addition to the large number of short stories that he wrote he also produced several dramatic masterpieces. His best known works include "The Cherry Orchard", "Ivanov", "Uncle Vanya", and "Three Sisters". Those plays along with "The Sea-Gull", "The Swan Song", "On the High Road", "The Proposal", "The Wedding", "The Bear", "A Tragedian in Spite of Himself",...

A Russian author, playwright, and physician, Anton Chekhov is widely considered one of the best short-story writers of all time. Having influenced such writers as Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, and James Joyce, Chekhov's stories are often noted for their stream-of-consciousness style and their vast number. Raymond Carver once said, “It is not only the immense number of stories he wrote—for few, if any, writers have ever done more—it is the...

A tragic father, Old Musatov, finds himself lucky to have very dedicated children. Musatov is a drunkard and is constantly seeking out money from his sons, which they routinely give to him over and over again. Musatov is drunkenly relating the pride and appreciation he feels for all of his sons to one of his sons, Boris, while also admitting his own flaws. His children indulge their father continually, even though he doesn't deserve it for all the...

Late one evening, tragedy strikes when the town doctor, Kirilov, is unable to save his dying son from diphtheria. As he and his wife mourn their only son's death, a stranger, Abogin, arrives at the doctor's home, begging him to come save his dying wife. The doctor, who is still shocked from his son's death of five minutes ago, declines Abogin's pleas. However, Abogin refuses to give up, trying desperately to save his wife. After Abogin promises to...

Natalya was once a happy and radiant young woman. Now an older woman, she reflects about her youth. In particular, she thinks about the heavy emphasis she put on her wealth and the relationships and experiences that it cost her. One man, Pyotr, loved her, but they both let their different statuses in society prevent their love from having a chance. After years of unhappiness and regret, Pyotr comes to visit Natalya.

Anton Chekhov is universally regarded as an all-time master of the short story form. Nowhere is this better displayed than within "The Little Trilogy," three interconnected short stories about love. The stories are "The Man in a Case," "Gooseberries," and "About Love." Referred to as literary intertextuality, these stories contain recurring characters, settings, and themes. Frank Marcopolos is an audiobook narrator whose voice-work has garnered praise...

A manufacturer and his lawyer decide to drink in the public room of a restaurant after a ball they had just attended. They are having a merry time drinking vodka and eating oysters. The manufacturer drinks more and more and becomes angrier with each drink. He later turns to his lawyer and confesses a secret to him that he has never told anyone before.

When several employees of the bank are arrested for corruption, the merchant Avdeyev doesn't give the ordeal much thought, figuring the men going to jail deserve it. His opinion changes however when he returns home to find his wife and son very upset -- his house had just been searched by officials in connection to the bank corruption. Avdeyev had signed papers for the bankers without knowing what they were and so had essentially signed his life away...

A young peasant finds himself confronting a doctor at a hospital with the hopes of convincing him to release his brother. The doctor is not pleased and refuses to release him saying the peasant needs to go to the authorities. He is disappointed by his statement and unsure of where to go. On his way out, he comes to meet an old man just outside the hospital gate. He reveals his problem to him and the old man directs him exactly where he needs to head....

Three friends, Mayer (a medical student), Rybnikov (a student of the arts), and Cassilyev (a law student), decide to go out one night to get some girls. Mayer and Rybnikov had to spend some time convincing Cassilyev to come along, as he was far more fastidious and cautious than his friends. Cassilyev himself is envious of his friends, who live their lives in a much more carefree fashion. The three friends visit several different houses containing...