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medha66's review
3.0
3.5 stars actually.
This is a very unique collection of short stories because Anton Chekhov does not follow the conventional idea of a story. There isn't usually a plot to speak of or a twist at the end. What makes these stories interesting is how they portray the human predicament. Taking ordinary situations such as meeting a childhood friend or an ex-husband, a woman reminiscing about the days of her youth or an old man taking a walk through the country with two orphans, he describes them with such poignance and simplicity that you just can't help feeling touched. Of all the stories, Ward No. 6 and The Bet were especially moving.
The flaws I found with the book can probably be owed to its translation. I found my attention wandering at times as the prose tended to be bland and a little tiresome.
This is a very unique collection of short stories because Anton Chekhov does not follow the conventional idea of a story. There isn't usually a plot to speak of or a twist at the end. What makes these stories interesting is how they portray the human predicament. Taking ordinary situations such as meeting a childhood friend or an ex-husband, a woman reminiscing about the days of her youth or an old man taking a walk through the country with two orphans, he describes them with such poignance and simplicity that you just can't help feeling touched. Of all the stories, Ward No. 6 and The Bet were especially moving.
The flaws I found with the book can probably be owed to its translation. I found my attention wandering at times as the prose tended to be bland and a little tiresome.
alexhmeyers's review
Just can't get into these. Found The Black Monk annoying and confusing. Will try again later.
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