Chekhov, Anton

New York. 2002. Penguin Books. 1st Penguin Classic Paperback Edition . Very Good in Wrappers. 0140447865. Translated from the Russian & With Notes by Ronlad Wilks. Introduction by J. Douglas Clayton. 333 pages. paperback. The cover shows a detail from Sleepless Night, 1903, by Nikolai Romadin in the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. keywords: Literature Russia Translated. FROM THE PUBLISHER - Impressionistic and experimental, these stories from the middle period of Chekhov's career explore complex, ambiguous and often extreme emotions, presenting a world without easy answers or universal truths. Influenced by Chekhov's experiences as a doctor, ‘Ward No. 6', set in a mental hospital, is a savage indictment of the medical profession. ‘The Black Monk', the story of an academic who has strange hallucinations, explores ideas of genius and insanity. Both ‘A Woman's Kingdom' and the extended tale ‘Three Years' show women discovering that money, marriage and choices do not bring happiness. In ‘Murder', religious fervour leads to violence, while in The Student', Chekhov's favourite story, a young man recounts a tale from the gospels and undergoes a sudden spiritual epiphany. Here, Chekhov's characters face madness, alienation and frustration before they experience brief, ephemeral moments of insight, often earned at great cost, where they confront the reality of their existence. With an annotated bibliography, chronology and explanatory notes. inventory #32538 ISBN: 0140447865.