Chekhov: A Spirit Set Free

Offers an insightful account of the nineteenth-century Russian writer's evolution as a master of drama and the short story.

Critics have long noted that many of Chekhov's short stories have strong autobiographical elements. In "My Life," for example, the son's revolt against corrupt, money-making respectability mirrors the Russian writer's own rebellion against a narrow-minded father who cynically abandoned him at age 16. Esteemed novelist, critic and short-story writer Pritchett goes beyond simple one-to-one correspondences in this brisk critical-biographical study, seamlessly weaving together Chekhov's life and his short stories in a tapestry that illuminates both. Chekhov's trip to the penal colony on Sakhalin Island in 1890 gave birth to his intense, claustrophobic story "Ward 6." His restless travels, his work as a doctor and concerned landowner yielded material that he later transformed through leaps of the imagination. As Pritchett demonstrates, the stories provided the characters and themes for the plays, not the other way around. This wonderfully readable reappraisal will make readers want to turn to Chekhov's stories anew.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In this solid survey of Chekhov's oeuvre, Pritchett posits the short story as the Russian master's essence; the plays, he argues, stem from the stories and are narrower. Racked by tuberculosis, Chekhov set his spirit free with his naturalistic art, shaping his prose from youthful memories of the seaport Taganrog, travel, and the vast Russian land ("The Steppe"); his medical practice and notes on the prison Sakhalin ("Ward No. 6"); and religion and music ("The Bishop"). Using the Garnett translations in conjunction with the criticism of Yarmolinsky, Simmons, and Magarshack, Pritchett often ignores recent scholarship; and he omits discussion of "Misery" and "The Bet." But then this literary biography is intended to be introductory. No index or bibliography. Kenneth Mintz, formerly of Bayonne P.L., N.J.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.