#201 The Betrothed

Please find the final Chekhov short story interpreted by the amazing Constance Garrett: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/201.html It is a 7588 long story. Travis review Like the last story, The Bishop, there is a character whose days are limited due to an illness. More than the bishop, I’d venture to say the character Alexandr Timofeitch (aka Sasha) represents Chekhov as he …

#200 The Bishop

Today’s 200th story is 6468 words. You can find it here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/200.html Travis review: This is a very slow, meditative story about the final days of a bishop’s life. It feels like Chekhov is writing about his own mortality in this tale. The doctor and man of letters was slowly succumbing to tuberculosis and perhaps he was wondering …

#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 …

#188 The Schoolmistress

Please today’s story 3491 word short story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/188.html Travis review:  Chekhov follows a schoolmistress riding in a cart to pick up her pay from the zemstvo. She is introverted and had taken the job thirteen years ago out of necessity after her parents died. Her psychological disposition is to not reflect too deeply about anything. To that …

#177 Three Years

Find today’s 35,540 word novella here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/177.html Travis review: This is a long story. Through 17 chapters this downbeat low-key drama takes place over the course of three years, but it felt like ten or more. There are many good moments as the story tracks the marriage of wealthy merchant heir to a girl he’d seen …

#174 The Teacher of Literature

Today’s 9145 word story can be found here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/174.html Travis review: Today’s story can be framed as a young schoolteacher who pulled himself up from poverty and marries into a wealthy family only have his optimistic, happy nature turn into existential turmoil when he learns he might not have been a master of his own fate. …

#172 Rothschild’s Fiddle

Please find today’s 4,117 word story here http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/172.html Travis review: Today’s story has antisemitism, misogyny, complete misanthropy and in the end regret. Yakov Ivanov embodies self-loathing at it’s worst. He is a miserly, miserable undertaker. Chekhov sets the tone with this great opening line:  “The town was a little one, worse than a village, and …

#170 Black Monk

Today’s 12,823 word long short story can be found here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/170.htmlhttp://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/170.html Travis review:  This story is told in 9 chapters. It’s interesting that this rare supernatural tale about a “chosen one” not unlike popular culture’s archetypes Neo from The Matrix or Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker. Looking deeper into religious culture Moses, Jesus and Mohammed (who …

#158 Gusev

Find today’s 5602 word story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/158.html Travis review: It is interesting that today’s story is named after one of the invalid soldiers and not titled “Sick Bay” or “Voyage Home.” While the story centers around Gusev and we see a few of his fever dreams, it is his fellow patient, Pavel Ivanitch, that says anything introspective …

#156 A Dreary Story: From the Notebook of an Old Man

Today’s 24,250 word novella here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/156.html Travis review: With Chekhov’s track record, a title like “A Dreary Story” should not turn off the reader. Misery is one of the most powerful stories I’ve read, and A Misfortune and Mire are also great. With over 24k words in this novella, it feels like Chekhov was trying to do what …