'the greatest short story writer who has ever lived'
Raymond Carver's unequivocal verdict on Chekhov's genius
has been echoed many times by writers as diverse as
Katherine Mansfield, Somerset Maugham, John Cheever and
Tobias Wolf. While his popularity as a playwright has
sometimes overshadowed his achievements in prose, the
importance of Chekhov's stories is now recognized by
readers as well as by fellow authors. Their themes -
alienation, the absurdity and tragedy of human existence
- have as much relevance today as when they were
written, and these superb new translations capture their
modernist spirit. Elusive and subtle, spare and
unadorned, the stories in this selection are among
Chekhov's most poignant and lyrical. They include
well-known pieces such as 'The Lady with the Little
Dog', as well as less familiar work like 'Gusev',
inspired by Chekhov's travels in the Far East, and
'Rothschild's Violin', a haunting and darkly humorous
tale about death and loss. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over
100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the
widest range of literature from around the globe.Each
affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to
scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a
wealth of other valuable features, including expert
introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to
clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further
study, and much more. |
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