Anton Chekhov’s short story "The Wife" offers a panoramic description of Russian life amidst the constantly warring oppositions of marriage. The frost of winter cannot compare to the impasse in the relationship...

And here comes the winning ticket! The numbers are... When Ivan Dmitritch reads the newspapes, he sees that the winning numbers from the lottery are very much the same as his wife’s ticket. They immediately...

‘At Christmas Time’ is a masterful short story written late in Chekhov’s career that is divided into two parts. The first half follows an illiterate peasant family hiring an ex-soldier to write a letter...

"The Teacher of Literature" tells the story of Nikitin, a young teacher at the local school, who proposes to Masha, the daughter of a wealthy man. The story oscillates between bouts of happiness and immense...

First published in 1887, ‘A Bad Business’ is a supernatural ghost story from famous Russian author Anton Chekhov. An encounter between a graveyard’s night-watchman and a mysterious visitor isn’t all that...

‘Anyuta’ is a short story that portrays the key aspects of Chekhov’s writings: dry humour, disillusionment, and a realistic depiction of social issues. The story revolves around Anyuta, a poor woman living...

Chekhov’s short story "The Orator" tells of a rather embarrassing situation when a famous orator stands in front of a crowd at a funeral ceremony. Filled with satire towards and critique of the hypocritical...

A short story written in the vein of the Gothic tradition, "The Black Monk" tells of a Kovrin, a Russian scholar, who is suffering from stress and overworking. He goes to the countryside, to an idyllic...

Well, you brought this on yourself. Not only were you browsing the Russian classics section – literature with a reputation so dour and depressing that it has reached meme status, but when you on top of...

Olga Mikhaylovna is pregnant, and she has spent the day plodding through her husbands name-day party, waiting on their guest's hand and foot. Tired of being pleasant to everyone, she takes a moment to...

Saveliy is highly suspicious that his wife, Raisa is a witch. She is constantly luring people into their poverty-ridden house, under the pretence of shelter from a storm, in order to seduce them. His...

‘Beauties’ is a short story by Chekhov that tells the tale of a young schoolboy travelling through the countryside with his grandfather on a sweltering summer day. The boy is uninterested in his dreary...

Nikolay Kharlamov has been accused of murdering his wife. ‘In the Court’ follows his trial, describing everything in almost molecular detail. Chekhov’s storytelling paints an uncomfortably realistic image...

‘Neighbours’ is a short drama by Chekhov about Zina, a young woman who leaves her home for a married man. This scandalous behaviour plagues the mind of Zina’s brother, Pyotr, who believes that she has...

‘Love’ begins with the narrator writing a long, poetic and lovelorn letter to the object of his affections, Sasha. It has to be absolutely perfect. However, her reply isn’t exactly what he expected. This...

'A Nightmare' is a short story by Anton Chekhov about two men, one a penniless priest and the other a wealthy aristocrat. The now desperate priest is too proud to ask for assistance, whereas the conniving...

‘Typhus’ is a deeply personal short story by Chekhov, about a young man, Klimov, returning home on a train while suffering from a terrible illness. The tale begins with Chekhov’s classic dark humour as...

‘In the Graveyard’ is a tale that is at once both hopeful and hopeless in which Anton Chekhov explores the tragedies of life with a comic touch. The short story opens with friends wandering a graveyard...

‘In the Dark’ is a darkly humorous short story by Anton Chekhov about a couple awoken during the night by a sneezing fit. This absurdist scene quickly becomes terrifying as the wife attempts to convince...

In Anton Chekhov's short story "Happiness" from 1887, a horseman approaches two shepherds just before dawn on a summer's night. He tells them the story of a wicked old man without moral who had died without...

‘Gone Astray’ is one of Chekhov’s earlier comedic short stories that is a light-hearted romp about two drunken lawyers trying to find their way home at night. Chekhov’s masterful use of irony is present...

A sombre, grieving monk, ferries a man across the river to visit his local church for the Easter holiday festivities. As they journey towards the celebrations and excitement on the opposite bank, the...

Follows Maria’s tumultuous journey home after receiving her salary from the school board. 'The Schoolmistress' features Chekhov’s much-celebrated realist prose as he illustrates the misery of the poor...

What are you most afraid of? Spiders, ghosts or perhaps the Slender Man? But have you ever been afraid of life itself? 'Terror' tells the story of just that: a man who is afraid of living. His fears range...

The narrative focuses on the extraordinary predicament of the Civil Councillor Navagin. For the past thirteen years he has striven in vain to uncover the undisclosed identity of a certain Fedyukov. His...

Fydor Lukitch Sysoev has been regarded as the best teacher for as long as he can remember, he cares about his students and never forgets an injustice or mistreatment. However, his confidence and patience...

"The Lady with the Dog" is one of Chekhov’s most popular short stories, following the adulterous relationship between two married people. Dmitri is unhappy in his marriage and curses the monotony of his...

A modern-day Hamlet, Laevsky enjoys blaming his issues on the corrupting influence of his time and civilization. Van Koren, on the other hand, believes strongly in the survival of the fittest. When the...

Chehkov’s short story "The Beggar" revolves around the theme of spiritual transformation where a depraved alcoholic becomes a better person through compassion and kindness. A perfect example of a narrative...

When Professor Serebrakoff and his younger wife, Helena, return to his rural estate, they find themselves less than welcome. Despite the smiles and formality, there is tension in the air and all roads...