Chekhov: A Biography

V.S. Pritchett explores the connections between Chekhov's life and art showing how Chekhov (1860-1904) often based his fiction on experiences of his difficult early years where he was responsible for his impoverished family and as a young doctor reported on the conditions of the Russian penal colony at Sakhalin. Later he continued his medical career even when he became a well-known writer and playwright. First published in 1988 this book focuses on the short stories of Chekhov often neglected in favour of his plays and discusses why Chekhov was a success in both mediums. The author has previously written Collected Stories a selection of short stories in addition to Nothing like Leather and Dead Man Leading.