Book description
To illuminate the mysterious greatness of Anton Chekhov’s writings, Janet Malcolm takes on three roles: literary critic, biographer, and journalist. Her close readings of the stories and plays are interwoven with episodes from Chekhov’s life and framed by an account of Malcolm’s journey to St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Yalta. She…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Reading Chekhov as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This is a wonderfully lively and revealing investigation into the life and work of Anton Chekhov. The book is also partly the story of Janet Malcolm’s pilgrimage to the cities in Russia where Chekhov lived and worked.
Her reading of Chekhov’s work is complemented by events from Chekhov’s personal life and letters. I have been a fan of Janet Malcolm for years because I’m captivated by her searing intelligence, her keen eye, and her ironic wit.
On her pilgrimage to Russia, Malcolm’s complicated relationship with her controlling Russian guide offers some truly hilarious moments.
Suspicious of biography, Malcolm dissects various myths about Chekhov’s death in this engaging book that mixes travel writing with acute readings of Chekhov’s stories and plays. As Malcolm visits some of the places crucial to Chekhov’s life and work (the scenes in Ukraine are of course poignant), she moves seamlessly between her own everyday experiences and the predicaments of Chekhov’s characters. In amongst the despair, disappointment, and absurdity she discovers beauty, humor, and occasional visions of hope.
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