#088 Dreams

Today’s story is 3430 words long and can be found here:  http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/088.html Travis Review: Today’s story has a nameless tramp escorted by two peasant constables to the district town. It seems that his offense is not “remembering his name.” I can assume that strangers who wander into town are considered suspect unless they can identify …

#087 Mire

Find today’s 7,198 word story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/087.html Travis Review: It feels like Chekhov took a temptress out of a fairy tale and added a pair of cousins who go up to visit her mansion separately. While there are elements that feel the a little fantastical, the rest of the story is grounded in the psychological way …

#086 A Peculiar Man

Today’s story is 1607 words long and can be found here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/086.html Travis Review: Today’s story does contain a peculiar man. Steve does a great job below diagnosing Kiryakov with Asperger’s Syndrome, but like the midwife in the story, I would prefer to keep my distance from him regardless of his condition and not worry about any …

#085 In the Court

Today’s story is 2626 words and can be found here:  http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/085.html Travis Review: It today’s story, we see the sausage making of the Russian judicial system. How little the officers of the courts are engaged with the proceedings, even when life or death drama is happening. “…the men here were as accustomed to the dramas …

#084 Difficult People

Find today’s 3148 word story here  http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/084.html Travis Review:  (Note: this is a quick review as I’ve fallen behind on many things this weekend.) A father and son who bear the same temperaments, collide in today’s story. The entire family seems terrified of the father, Shiryaev. When the oldest son, Pytor, at the prompting of …

#083 A Trifle from Life

Today’s story is 2003 words and can be found here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/083.html Travis Review: After yesterday’s “A Tripping Tongue” and “A Trivial Incident” the day before that comes today’s “T” titled story completing a Chekov T-trifecta. Belyaev is a self-absorbed, successful man living with a woman or as he says “dragging out a long, wearisome romance.” …

#082 A Tripping Tongue

Today’s story is 1262 words and can be found here:  http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/082.html Travis Review: Today’s story feels modern, much like a socialite trophy-wife reuniting with her husband over dinner to tell him about her latest adventure that he funded before jet-setting off on her next foray. Perhaps my impressions are based on my time in Los Angeles …

#081 A Trivial Incident

Today’s 4075 word story can be found here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/081.html Travis Review:  If you strip away the background of the penniless prince and the details of bird hunting, this becomes the story of a man and a woman with a history together who are now too shy/embarrassed to talk to each other. I feel like we’ve a had …

#080 In The Dark

You can find today’s 1755 word story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/080.html Travis Review: Another title for this story could be How The Cook Got Fired. Chekhov uses an enormous amount of restraint with today’s story as it could have easily become a bedroom farce with lovers hiding in closets or a crime story with the common man facing …

#079 The Jeune Premier

Today’s story is 1760 words and can be found here:  http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/079.html Travis Review: Yvegeny Podzharov is a confident and cocky “elegant young man.” Besides being a top actor he is also ladykiller. When a guest, Klimov, comes to the party who “lived in the very town in which the jeune premier had acted for two seasons in succession,” I …