by Anton Chekhov

Initially known in the West for plays such as Three Sisters (1901) and The Cherry Orchard (1904; also in Literature and Its Times), Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904) has increasingly gained recognition in the region as a master of the short story, a status long accorded him by Russian readers. Trained as a doctor, Chekhov began writing while still a student. By the mid- 1880s, he was supporting himself and his family by producing a steady output of short, humorous pieces for popular journals. In 1888, however, with his story “The Steppe,” he embarked on a new phase, producing fewer but more profound stories. Often these tales lack much in the way of traditional plot, instead depicting in Chekhov’s unique and gently...