Fifty-Two Stories

A masterfully rendered volume of Chekhovs stories from award-winning translators Richard Pevear and Larissa VolokhonskyChekhovs genius left an indelible impact on every literary form in which he wrote but none more so than short fiction. Now renowned translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky give us their superb renderings of fifty-two Chekhov stories. This volume which spans the full arc of Chekhovs career and includes a number of tales translated into English for the first time reveals the extraordinary variety of his work. Ranging from the farcically comic to the darkly complex the stories are populated by a remarkable range of characters who come from all parts of Russia all walks of life and who taken together have democratized the short story. This is a collection that promises profound delight.The premier Russian-to-English translators of the era The New YorkerThe reinventors of the classic Russian novel for our times PEN/Book of the Month Translation Prize Citation Review This beautifully produced edition from the veteran translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky collects in chronological order fifty-two of Anton Chekhovs short stories written between 1883 and 1898. It is a full deck intended to reflect the diversity and inventiveness of the authors lesser-known fiction ... Their Chekhov is accurate compelling and even graceful ―The Times Literary SupplementThe indefatigable translating team of Pevear and Volokhonsky deliver a first-rate collection of Chekhovs stories ... Encounters between young and old rich and poor country and city people mark these stories ... A welcome gathering of work some not often anthologized by an unrivaled master of the short story form ―Kirkus About the Author Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) the grandson of a former serf and son of a grocer was born in Taganrog a port in Southern Russia. His childhood was overshadowed by his frightening father but he was close to his mother. While he was at university his father was defrauded and went bankrupt leaving the family in dire financial straits; Chekhov supported them almost single-handedly by selling stories and sketches to magazines. Although a doctor by profession he soon became famous for his brilliant stories and plays and is today recognized as one of the greatest short story writers of all time.Richard Pevear along with his wife Larissa Volokhonsky has translated works by Tolstoy Dostoevsky Chekhov Gogol Bulgakov and Pasternak. They both were twice awarded the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize (for DostoevskysThe Brothers Karamazov and TolstoysAnna Karenina). They are married and live in France.Larissa Volokhonsky along with her husband Richard Pevear has translated works by Tolstoy Dostoevsky Chekhov Gogol Bulgakov and Pasternak. They both were twice awarded the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize (for DostoevskysThe Brothers Karamazov and TolstoysAnna Karenina). They are married and live in France.