Short Stories by Anton Chekhov: Bk.2: Talent and Other Stories

Anton Chekhov; Max Bollinger; Constance Garnett; Pyotr Tchaikovskiy

ISBN 10: 0956116558 ISBN 13: 9780956116550

Publisher: Sovereign, 2010

Synopsis

Short Stories by Anton Chekhov: Bk.2: Talent and Other Stories

This is the second audio book in the series of Chekhov's Short Stories featuring 5 new stories: Talent, Anyuta, The Helpmate, Ivan Matveyitch, Polinka. Read by Max Bollinger in English (unabridged). Several stories in this new 65-min CD are accompanied by occasional piano music based on original compositions by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, a distinguished Russian composer of Romantic era.

The selection of stories in this book represents Chekhov s early work which perhaps is not as well known as some of his plays. The stories nevertheless possess unique potency and relevance to our modern lives just as they did back in 19th century Russia when they first appeared in various Russian publications.

Chekhov himself described his work as comic satire: "All I wanted was to say honestly to people: 'Have a look at yourselves and see how bad and dreary your lives are!' The important thing is that people should realize that, for when they do, they will most certainly create another and better life for themselves. I will not live to see it, but I know that it will be quite different, quite unlike our present life.

Chekhov was often criticized by prominent literary reviewers of the time for not providing readers with an answer or ideas how these dreary lives can be improved. Of course Chekhov is not giving a direct instruction or providing readers with a manual on how to live a life, but it is possible to find solutions in his stories ? they appear between the lines for each reader. Resolutions are different for each person and only each individual soul can find the right and most appropriate way in their life. Chekhov s own response to this is well documented. He often insisted that the job of an artist was not to answer questions, it was to ask them.

Stories in this Audio Book

01 Talent
02 Anyuta
03 The Helpmate
04 Ivan Matveyitch
05 Polinka

About this title

About the Author

About The Author

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860 1904), a Russian short story writer, playwright and physician, considered to be one of the greatest short story writers in the history of world literature. His career as a dramatist produced all-time classics The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and Cherry Orchard. His short stories are held in high esteem by writers, critics and audiences of all generations.

What the Critics Say About Anton Chekhov

His meticulous anatomies of complicated human impulse and response, his view of what's funny and poignant, his clear-eyed observance of life as lived all somehow matches our experience. Richard Ford

Anton Chekhov's late stories mark a pivotal moment in European fiction the point where nineteenth-century realist conventions of the short story begin their transformation into the modern form. His psychological insight was profound and dynamic. Joyce may have more exactly captured the texture of human consciousness, but no short story writer has better expressed its often invisible complexities. Dana Gioia

Chekhov raised the portrayal of banality to the level of world literature. He developed the short story as a form of literary art to one of its highest peaks, and the translation of his stories into English has constituted one of the greatest single literary influences at work in the short story of America, England, and Ireland. This influence has been one of the factors encouraging the short-story writers of these nations to revolt against the conventional plot story and seek in simple and realistic terms to make of the story a form that more seriously reflects life. James T Farrell

About The Composer

Pyotr Ilyich Chaikovskiy 1840 1893, a Russian composer of the Romantic era. Chaikovskiy achieved worldwide recognition during his lifetime, was awarded an honorary doctorate at Cambridge University. In 1891 the Carnegie Hall program booklet proclaimed him to be one of the greatest living musicians. Music critics praised him as a modern music lord . In Russia Chaikovskiy was considered a national treasure, and his music admired and adored by all. He wrote some of the most popular concert and theatrical music in the current classical repertoire, including the ballets Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, the 1812 Overture, his Piano Concertos, his Symphonies, and the opera Eugene Onegin.

About The Translator

Constance Clara Garnett 1861 1946, an English translator of nineteenth century Russian Literature. Following her visit to Russia in 1893 where she met Leo Tolstoy, Constance started translating Russian literature, which became her life's passion and resulted in English language versions of dozens of volumes by Tolstoy, Pushkin, Turgenev, Chekhov and other prominent Russian writers. Russian anarchist Sergei Stepniak assisted in preparation of her early works.

Joseph Conrad compared Constance to a great musician interpreting a great composer when (Turgenev). Katherine Mansfield wrote: Constance Garnett transformed the lives of younger authors by revealing a new world. Without her translations, H. E. Bates believed, modern English literature itself could not have been what it is.

From AudioFile

Anton Chekhov was one of the early masters of the short story as well as a great playwright. As is typical of Chekhov's stories, the five tracks here are carefully constructed slices of life, rich in portrait and moral ambiguity rather than dramatic experiences. Some listeners will find them a less familiar side of the author of UNCLE VANYA and THE CHERRY ORCHARD. Max Bollinger brings the authentic voice and soul of Russia to these classic Constance Garnett translations. While many of the issues in these stories are timeless, listeners will also get to visit, for a while, the old Russia of the czars. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Sovereign
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0956116558
• ISBN 13: 9780956116550
• Binding: Audio CD
• Number of pages: 65
• Illustrator: Max Bollinger