Anton Chekhov

I had to enter the service of a Petersburg official called Orlov, who was still out of humour. Zinaida Fyodorovna Krasnovsky hated me from the first day. Zinaida Fyodorovna came into the hall and...

The ladies of K - - gathered together to criticize the N - - cavalry regiment, and the tax-collector watched with spite. Anna Pavlovna was so lost in the dance that she did not once glance at her...

At five o'clock one Sunday afternoon in summer, Volodya was sitting in the arbour of the Shumihins' country villa, feeling dreary. He was in love with Anna Fyodorovna, the Shumihins'...

Andrey Vassilitch Kovrin visited Pesotsky, his former guardian, at ten o'clock in the evening and sat with Tanya all the evening. Styopka was carting dung at night, a maiden heard mysterious sounds...

Stepan Stepanitch Zhilin wakes up in a gloomy frame of mind after losing heavily at cards or after a drinking-bout. He spits loudly and wraps his dressing-gown around him. Stepan Stepanitch said to...

Visitors to the provincial town complained of the dreariness and monotony of life, but Ivan Petrovitch showed his talents and made epigrams, riddles and answered them himself. II Startsev kept...

Mashenka Pavletsky returned to her room and found Fedosya Vassilyevna and red at the table, putting back into Mashenka's workbag balls of wool, scraps of materials, and bits of paper. Mashenka...

The Professor received a telegram from the Lyalikovs' factory, and sent instead his assistant to meet Korolyov. Madame Lyalikov, a stout elderly lady wearing a black silk dress with fashionable...

A fair-haired young lady of medium height appeared on the sea-front, and a man secretly considered her unintelligent, narrow, inelegant. He beckoned coaxingly to the Pomeranian, and they walked...

A frank extract from the notebook of an eminent - but aging - Russian professor.

The story of Olga, a woman who must always be in love with someone.

Dr Ragin is honest and intelligent but lacks the strength of character to see to it that life around him is honest and intelligent - which h