Raymond Carver called Anton Chekhov the greatest short story writer who has ever lived This unequivocal verdict on Chekhovs genius has been echoed many times by writers as diverse as Katherine Mansfield Somerset Maugham John Cheever and Tobias Wolf While his popularity as a playwright has sometimes overshadowed his achievements in prose the importance of Chekhovs stories is now recognized by readers as well as by fellow authors Their themes--alienation the absurdity and tragedy of human existence--have as much relevance today as when they were written and these superb new translations capture their modernist spirit Elusive and subtle spare and unadorned the stories in this selection are among Chekhovs most poignant and lyrical The book includes well-known pieces such as The Lady with the Little Dog as well as less familiar work like Gusev inspired by Chekhovs travels in the Far East and Rothschilds Violin a haunting and darkly humorous tale about death and loss The stories are arranged chronologically to show the evolution of Chekhovs artAbout the Series For over years Oxford Worlds Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe Each affordable volume reflects Oxfords commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities voluminous notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study and much more.
