THE CHERRY ORCHARD AND OTHER PLAYS (First edition in English) includes The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya, The Sea-gull, The Bear, The Proposal

Anton Tchehov (Chekhov), Constance Ganett (Translated from the Russian by)

Published by Chatto & Windus, 3, Henrietta Street, London, W.C., 1923

A true first printing of the first edition of this collection, published by Chatto & Windus as Vol. I. in The Plays of Tchehov in 1923. Translated from the Russian by Constance Garnett. ***Near fine in olive-green cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine, and blind-stamped titles to the front board. The gilt is still beautifully bright. The fragile cloth-covered boards show some wear and there are some marks commensurate with age and handling over the last 100 years. The head and tail of the spine remain uncreased. Corners sharp. Spine tight with no reading lean. Page block edges clean - just a few small foxing marks. Internally also near fine, with very clean pages and no inscriptions or annotations. No foxing and no creases or tears. No dustwrapper. ***273 pages. 160mm x 105mm. ***Contents: The Cherry Orchard, Uncle Vanya, The Sea-gull, The Bear, The Proposal. ***'"The Cherry Orchard" is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by Znaniye (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Publishers. It opened at the Moscow Art Theatre on 17 Jan 1904 in a production directed by Konstantin Stanislavski. Chekhov described the play as a comedy, with some elements of farce, though Stanislavski treated it as a tragedy. Since its first production, directors have contended with its dual nature. It is often identified as one of the three or four outstanding plays by Chekhov, along with The Seagull, Three Sisters, and Uncle Vanya. The play revolves around an aristocratic Russian landowner who returns to her family estate (which includes a large and well-known cherry orchard) just before it is auctioned to pay the mortgage. Unresponsive to offers to save the estate, she allows its sale to the son of a former serf; the family leaves to the sound of the cherry orchard being cut down. The story presents themes of cultural futility - both the futile attempts of the aristocracy to maintain its status and of the bourgeoisie to find meaning in its new-found materialism. It dramatizes the socioeconomic forces in Russia at the turn of the 20th century, including the rise of the middle class after the abolition of serfdom in the mid-19th century and the decline of the power of the aristocracy. Widely regarded as a classic of 20th-century theatre, the play has been translated and adapted into many languages and produced around the world'. (Wiki) ***A rare first printing of the first English edition of this selection of plays, published as Vol. I. in The Plays of Tchehov. Published in a small and fragile format, copies of this first English translation of "The Cherry Orchard" are extremely hard to find now in good condition. A collector's item - containing three of Chekhov's finest plays. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. Seller Inventory # 8808

Bibliographic Details

Title: THE CHERRY ORCHARD AND OTHER PLAYS (First ...
Publisher: Chatto & Windus, 3, Henrietta Street, London, W.C.
Publication Date: 1923
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Near Fine
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Edition: First Edition In English