Book description
If any writer can be said to have invented the modern short story, it is Anton Chekhov. It is not just that Chekhov democratized this art form; more than that, he changed the thrust of short fiction from relating to revealing. And what marvelous and unbearable things are revealed inā¦
Why read it?
1 author picked Forty Stories as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Lately Iāve been thinking a lot about this story. Itās set in Yalta, a resort town located on the Crimean Peninsulaāterritory that has been caught up in the Russian/Ukrainian war. Chekhov, who suffered from tuberculosis, had a home there, where he wrote much of his last and best work, including thisāhis most famousāstory. Itās a simple tale about normal peopleālovers who are married to othersāand thus bucked the Russian trend of big societal themes. Chekhovās political leanings changed so often, he said, that the āabsence of lengthy verbiage of a political-social-economic natureā became the first of his six principles forā¦
From Stephanie's list on The best stories that have been adapted again and againā¦ and again.
If you love Forty Stories...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa storiesāall reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argueā¦
Want books like Forty Stories?
Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Forty Stories.
Share your top 3 reads of 2026!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
164
readers submitted
so far, will you?
š If you like Forty Stories, you might also like...
The Tao of Poison
A poisonous maiden, a Daoist sex cult, and a violent insurgency.
The polyandrous Yan family in China's rural Shaanxi Province takes in two carpenter brothers. When one brother is convicted of murder after killing their neighbor in a dispute, a constable threatens to expose the family's rumored polyandry and extortsā¦
Big Ideas... For Small Businesses
Big Ideasā¦ for Small Businesses is a straight-talking, no-nonsense guide to growing a small business without sacrificing your lifestyle. Written by a former civil servant turned entrepreneur, the book challenges hustle culture and instead champions the idea of an "ambitious lifestyle business" - one that provides freedom and financial stability,ā¦
