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amberfinnegan's review
4.0
I randomly grabbed this book while in LA at the Last Bookstore (go if you can, it’s amazing!) and thought I’d see what Chekhov is all about. Well, that was a rather depressing endeavor.
I felt that Chekhov did a great job of showing how horrible life can be. Many of the characters were pathetic; their personality, financially, or situationally. My favorite example of this was in *With Friends.*
Another great story was *Rothschild’s Fiddle,* jeez what a depressing piece of work.
*The Fiancée,* the namesake of this collection was well written and enjoyable. I felt that it gave a good taste of the mood the rest of the stories encompass and was a thoughtful look at major changes in someone’s life and how that can mold a person.
As a side note, to bring up the mood, it’s good to be reminded that Chekhov was born to a former serf and died at age 44 of consumption.
I felt that Chekhov did a great job of showing how horrible life can be. Many of the characters were pathetic; their personality, financially, or situationally. My favorite example of this was in *With Friends.*
Another great story was *Rothschild’s Fiddle,* jeez what a depressing piece of work.
*The Fiancée,* the namesake of this collection was well written and enjoyable. I felt that it gave a good taste of the mood the rest of the stories encompass and was a thoughtful look at major changes in someone’s life and how that can mold a person.
As a side note, to bring up the mood, it’s good to be reminded that Chekhov was born to a former serf and died at age 44 of consumption.
hawaiian_hedgehog's review
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
jake_'s review
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Chekhov can bring a character to life in a few sentences, and write a novel in a few pages. He’s a wonderfully clever storyteller, always observant, witty and incisive, and he shows a noticeable compassion (given the age in which he was writing) towards women and people of various social classes and backgrounds. His endings leave things unresolved: the sense is often of a missed opportunity, evoking sadness and confusion. As a result I was personally reminded of authors like M. John Harrison and Robert Aickman; Chekhov was more famously an influence on Virginia Woolf.
I recommend all of his stories (Constance Garnett's translation is still very readable and free online), but I particularly enjoyed ‘The Fiancée’ in this edition.
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