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stan2long's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Flaws in the characters yes, but more importantly, the flaws in their circumstances, in the society in which they live. Each story ends rather abruptly.
whoz_ophelia's review
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This collection of short stories delighted and perplexed me. I was at times moved to laughter, other times moved to rage by the oddities and strange philosophies of the stories' characters. Although the stories are not overtly political, Chekhov's characters do seem to show a disdain for the mundane comforts of their own or other characters moneyed lives, which I found more intriguing than anything else. It had me curious about Russian society at the time of Chekhov's writings. Overall, an amazing collection of stories, filled with flawed characters, and clear concise writing (thank you, Ronald Hingley.) My favorite stories were The Duel and The Russian Master.
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