#198 At Christmas Time

You can find today’s 1884 word story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/198.html Travis  This is a depressing Christmas/News Year themed story. Chekhov writes two scenes illustrating abuse of power. The first is with an illiterate, uneducated mother in the country. Vasilisa thinks constantly about her daughter who went away to Petersburg after her marriage. Saddled with poverty and a …

#197 A Woman With A Dog

Find today’s 6381 word story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/197.html Travis review: I’m not sure why this story is considered one of the best in Chekhov’s canon. It is a good, solid story about a philanderer falling love for the first time with a conquest. Both adulterers are racked with emotions, yet it seems that Anna has more guilt …

#196 On Official Duty

Find today’s 6647 word story here:  http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/196.html Travis review: I found today’s story about officials traveling to investigate a suicide and the distractions that follow interesting from the standpoint of naming schemes. There are 3 L prominent names: Loshadin (the village constable), Lesnitsky (the dead insurance agent) and Lyzhin (the examining magistrate who the reader …

#195 The New Villa

Please find today’s 5781 word story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/195.html Travis review: I liked this story because it got under my skin. It the story of wealthy, well-intentioned people building a house in a small village and dealing with the petty and belligerent peasants. Unlike My Life, which had the peasants acting in selfish and horrible ways to the …