#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 …

#178 The Helpmate

Find today’s 2585 word story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/178.html Travis review: This is a relatively straight forward story about a doctor, worn out with consumption and worry, who believes his wife is cheating on him and finds evidence of it written in English. The best part of the story is when the wife appears and later when the doctor, …

#162 The Grasshopper

Find today’s 9,960 word here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/162.html Travis review: I wonder if Chekhov wrote this story thinking about contradiction or at least a conflict within himself by being both a doctor/man of scientist and a writer/artist. The married couple are named Osip and Olga, both four letter names that start with the letter O. Osip is “a …

#073 A Misfortune

Today’s story is 4989 words and can be found here:  http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/073.html Travis Review: Chekhov takes an in depth look at human psychology and behavior, and the genesis of an extramarital affair in today’s story. The wife of a notary is living in a nameless summer village, but could have been called Eden. Ilyin is a …

#054 Agafya

Find today’s 4182 word story here http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/054.html Travis Review:  This sad tale of adultery seems to hold a universal truth about some women’s attraction to condescending, scornful men. I was under the impression that what I’ve personally witnessed has been more of a late twentieth century American phenomenon, but the nineteenth century Russia also had cads …