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الاستماع والقراءة

Anton Chekhov

"Champagne: A Wayfarer’s Story" follows a penniless writer's train journey where he encounters a wealthy but disillusioned couple. The husband symbolizes success but is unhappy, while the wife, seemingly frivolous, seeks meaning. Sharing champagne, the writer gains insight into their lives. Through witty dialogues, Chekhov explores the complex interplay of appearances, wealth, and personal fulfillment.

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Chekhov Stories

Champagne: A Wayfarer’s Story

Constance Garnett

"The Lottery Ticket" by Anton Chekhov follows Ivan Dmitritch, who buys a lottery ticket on his wife's insistence. When they believe they've won, their fantasies of wealth transform their lives. As reality sets in, the ticket's potential tears at their relationship, revealing greed's impact on human nature. The story delves into the complexities of dreams, disappointment, and the fragility of contentment.

The Lottery Ticket

"Difficult People" by Anton Chekhov portrays a tense family dynamic. Yevgraf Ivanovitch Shiryaev, a farmer with a difficult temperament, clashes with his family over financial matters. His son, Pyotr, a student, confronts his father about his behavior and the emotional toll it takes on the family. Amidst heated exchanges, hurtful words, and raw emotions, the family's frustrations and tensions come to the forefront. As Pyotr plans to leave, the passage captures the pain, anger, and bitterness that permeate their interactions. The strained relationships within the household reflect the complexities of human nature and the challenges of coexisting with difficult individuals.

Difficult People

"The Kiss" by Anton Chekhov follows Ryabovitch, a modest army officer, who experiences unexpected turmoil when he accidentally kisses the wife of an official during a ball. Consumed by guilt and fear, he navigates an internal struggle while facing the consequences of his actions. The story delves into human nature, morality, and the complexities of desire within societal constraints.

The Kiss

I need no great effort of memory to recall, in every detail, the rainy autumn evening when I stood with my father in one of the more frequented streets of Moscow, and felt that I was gradually being overcome by a strange illness. I had no pain at all, but my legs were giving way under me, the words stuck in my throat, my head slipped weakly on one side . . . It seemed as though, in a moment, I must fall down and lose consciousness.

Oysters

Olga Ivanovna Dymova enjoys the company of extraordinary people, all painters, writers and musicians, who look to her bright and original. All members of the small artistic circle which she is a hostess of, they all tell her she herself is a promising artist and pianist, the reputation she tries to uphold by practicing regularly and producing countless and, apparently, not very original 'etudes'.

The Grasshopper

Pyotr, the Bishop at the Staro-Petrovski Convent feels weak and unwell. During the evening service, on the eve of Palm Sunday, while distributing the palm, he sees in the crowd a woman who looks like his mother whom he had not seen for nine years. For no particular reason tears start flowing from his eyes… Tired and in a kind of haze, he returns to his monastery bedroom, then learns from Father Sysoi, a lay brother, that his mother indeed had come to visit him, bringing with her Katya, an eight-year old niece. This brings him great joy, he spends the night in reveries… But he is unable to sleep also because his conditions worsens, and he seems to be in a fever.

The Bishop

Savka, a lazy and strangely introspective man of great physical force and sexual charm, as well as some bizarre habits, is seen as a despicable outcast by the village's male community. Women, though, 'pity' Savka and visit him regularly by night, bringing food and receiving romantic 'hand-outs' which he delivers condescendingly, with contempt mixed with perplexing pity. 

Agafya, a young railway signalman's wife, is the latest convert to the local sex cult, risking her husband's potentially murderous wrath for several minutes of bliss with a man whom she is apparently in almost religious awe of.

Agafya

Travelling from Odessa and Sevastopol, the narrator on board the steamboat meets a man called Ivan Shamokhin, who tells him a story of his love for a woman named Ariadna Kotlovich. Initially he is just dazzled by her beauty, gracefulness, originality, wit and intelligence; to him she is an epitome of perfection. Gradually he comes to realize that there is vanity and coldness behind her shiny charisma. She loves seeing Shamokhin around, but only because the fact that a young man so attractive and virtuous is so obviously infatuated with her, gives her great pleasure. His attempts at escaping are all in vain: he is now totally under the spell of Ariadna…

Ariadne

In the bustling market square, Police Superintendent Otchumyelov finds himself amidst a peculiar incident involving a dog bite. The goldsmith Hryukin, nursing a bleeding finger, accuses the white borzoy puppy of causing him harm. Determined to uphold the law, Otchumyelov resolves to identify the dog's owner and take appropriate action. As the crowd speculates about the dog's origin, Otchumyelov's stern demeanor and desire for justice become apparent. He vows to teach the dog's owner a lesson, emphasizing the importance of obeying regulations and curbing such incidents. The possibility of the dog belonging to General Zhigalov adds a layer of intrigue to the situation, prompting Otchumyelov to make inquiries.

The Chameleon

"A Living Calendar" is a dialogue-driven short story by Anton Chekhov that unfolds in the drawing-room of State-Councillor Sharamykin's house. The room is enveloped in a soft, green-tinted ambiance, created by a dimly lit lamp. Sharamykin, a grey-haired man with a gentle demeanor, sits in front of the fireplace, seemingly content after dinner. Vice-Governor Lopniev lounges on a stool nearby, engaged in conversation. Sharamykin reminisces about the town's past, expressing his disappointment in the declining quality of cultural events. He nostalgically recalls the visits of famous actors, singers, and performers who used to bring aesthetic pleasure to the community. He vividly recounts the talents of Luigi Ernesto di Ruggiero, an Italian tragedian, and Prilipchin, a charming tenore di grazia, both of whom left lasting impressions on him and his wife, Anna Pavlovna. The couple would organize performances for these artists and receive singing lessons in return.

A Living Calendar

The town was a little one, worse than a village, and it was inhabited by scarcely any but old people who died with an infrequency that was really annoying. In the hospital and in the prison fortress very few coffins were needed. In fact business was bad. If Yakov Ivanov had been an undertaker in the chief town of the province he would certainly have had a house of his own, and people would have addressed him as Yakov Matveyitch; here in this wretched little town people called him simply Yakov…

Rothschild's Violin

Revolving around philosophical and social conflicts, this story is set in a provincial mental asylum and explores the interactions occurring between a doctor and the members of his town. 

Andrey Yefimitch Ragin is the head doctor of a small town and although his position is favorable, he finds himself distressed with the mediocrity surrounding him. His deep desire to be submerged in intellectual conversation is satisfied by one of the patients in the mental ward adjacent to the hospital. This ward consists of five patients, referred to as lunatics, and a behavior enforcing soldier. The doctor seldomly visited the ward, but the one time he did, he became captivated by a paranoid patient who challenged his view on suffering. 

Ivan Gromov, although in a mental ward, was one of the sane members of the town, an eloquent man capable of engaging in the sort of intellectual conversation that the doctor had long been searching for. Gromov denounces the injustice he sees everywhere, while Dr. Ragin insists on ignoring injustice and other evils; partially as a result of this way of thinking, he neglects to remedy the shoddy conditions of the mental ward.

Ward No 6

"Kashtanka" is a delightful short story by Anton Chekhov that revolves around a spirited little dog named Kashtanka and her series of adventures. The story begins with Kashtanka as a stray puppy, living a challenging life on the streets until she is taken in by a kind circus clown named Ivan Ivanovich. Under Ivan's care, Kashtanka finds a new home and becomes part of the circus family. As Kashtanka adapts to her new surroundings, she encounters a variety of colorful characters, including the arrogant dachshund Sausage, the pompous cat Murka, and the wise old donkey named Zhuchka. Each interaction teaches Kashtanka valuable lessons about loyalty, friendship, and the complexities of the human world.

Kashtanka

Doctor Starchenko and Lyzhin, a young deputy examining magistrate, arrive at Syrnya to attend to the case of Lesnitsky, an insurance agent, who, upon arrival to the village three days before, entered the local zemstvo house, ordered himself a samovar, unpacked his food packets, and then all of as sudden shot himself.

On Official Duty

Nikitin, a 27-year-old teacher of Russian literature in a provincial gymnasium, is infatuated with Masha Shelestova, an 18-year daughter of a local landlord. A happy man, he admires everything about the Shelestov house and is even prepared to endure the huge number of cats and dogs. He marries Masha and the idyll continues, now partly in their country house.

The Teacher of Literature

The story's protagonist, Grigori Tsybukin, runs the local grocery store but supplements his income by selling homebrewed vodka on the sly. Grigori's family—consisting of his wife Varvara, his sons Anisim and Stephan, and his "handsome" daughter-in-law Aksinia—aid him in his entrepreneurial endeavors. In particular, Aksinia is designated as Tsybukin's second-in-command, which encourages the young woman to think that she might become the heir to his business. Although many locals congratulate Grigori on his good fortune in life and the merits of his daughter-in-law, not everyone expresses such good humor.

In the Ravine

"Boys" is a captivating short story by Anton Chekhov that delves into the complexities of youth, innocence, and the harsh realities of life. Set in a small Russian town, the narrative follows the lives of two friends, Volodya and Vanya, as they navigate the delicate transition from childhood to adolescence. Volodya, an imaginative and spirited boy, is deeply fascinated by the neighboring estate and its aristocratic inhabitants. He daydreams about the luxurious lifestyle and envisions himself as a nobleman. Vanya, on the other hand, possesses a more grounded perspective, often teasing his friend's fantasies and urging him to face the realities of their modest existence.

Boys

"Sleepy" by Anton Chekhov is a haunting tale that delves into the mind of a sleep-deprived young girl named Varka. The story takes place during a restless night in a cramped and stuffy room. Varka, a thirteen-year-old nurse, is responsible for rocking the cradle in which a crying baby lies. She is desperate for sleep, but she must stay awake to tend to the baby or face the wrath of her master and mistress. As Varka battles exhaustion, her surroundings blur together in a surreal and dreamlike manner. The flickering lamp casts eerie shadows on the ceiling, and the sounds of a churring cricket and snoring from the neighboring room only add to her disorientation. Varka's drowsiness transports her into a world of hallucinations.

Sleepy

"The Fish" by Anton Chekhov revolves around the comedic and futile efforts of three men, Gerassim, Lubim, and Yefim, to catch a massive eel-pout from under a tangle of tree roots in a river. Despite their arduous attempts, including getting help from the master, Andrey Andreitch, they fail to catch the elusive fish. The story highlights human perseverance and the absurdity of human endeavors, emphasizing the unpredictability and irony of life. The characters' determination to catch the fish becomes a humorous portrayal of the challenges people face in pursuing their goals.

Chekhov Stories - سلسلة الكتب

Chekhov Stories - سلسلة الكتب

Chekhov Stories كتب بالترتيب

الاستماع والقراءة