Introduction


Anton Chekhov
Of all the great Russian writers in literary history, Anton Chekhov stands as perhaps the most touching and immediately accessible. He is remembered primarily for advancing two forms—the play and the short story. As a playwright, Chekhov emphasized mood over plot and is credited with influencing countless dramatists from his period onward, even though he wrote only five full-length plays during his lifetime: Ivanov, The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sisters, The Seagull, and Uncle Vanya. As a writer of short fiction, he perfected a tone of sympathetic detachment when describing the misfortunes of his characters. Chekhov’s work in the genre has influenced canonical writers as diverse as Raymond Chandler, Franz Kafka, and Ernest Hemingway.

Essential Facts

  1. Chekhov’s grandfather was a serf who bought his freedom, and his father worked in and owned a grocery shop.
  2. As a young man, Chekhov was profoundly influenced by Russian literary giant Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy, however, did not later return the admiration: he reportedly hated Chekhov’s plays.
  3. After Chekhov graduated from Moscow University in 1884, he practiced medicine for several years.
  4. One of his most famous plays, The Seagull, was a complete flop when it premiered in St. Petersburg in 1896; however, it caught the eye of two very important men: Constantin Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. When the two formed the Moscow Art Theatre two years later, they produced The Seagull to great acclaim. This artistic relationship became the most important of Chekhov’s life.
  5. Chekhov battled tuberculosis for most of his short life. He eventually succumbed to the disease in 1904 at the age of 44.
 

Recommended Resources

  1. Anton Chekhov - Dictionary of World Biography: The 19th Century
  2. Anton Chekhov Drama Criticism
  3. The Cherry Orchard eText
  4. The Cherry Orchard Study Guide (eNotes)
  5. Uncle Vanya Study Guide (eNotes)

All Resources

Display as: Categories, List
  1. Anton Chekhov
  2. Anton Chekhov - Dictionary of World Biography: The 19th Century
  3. Anton Chekhov Criticism
  4. Anton Chekhov Drama Criticism
  5. Anton Chekhov Short Story Criticism
  6. Critical Survey of Drama
  7. Critical Survey of Short Fiction
  8. Cyclopedia of World Authors
  9. Gooseberries - Masterplots II: Short Story Series
  10. Gooseberries eText
  11. Gooseberries Short Story Criticism
  12. Gooseberries Study Guide
  13. The Cherry Orchard - Book Review
  14. The Cherry Orchard - Literary Characters
  15. The Cherry Orchard - Literary Places
  16. The Cherry Orchard - Masterplots
  17. The Cherry Orchard - Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism
  18. The Cherry Orchard eText
  19. The Cherry Orchard Study Guide (eNotes)
  20. The Darling - Masterplots II: Short Story Series
  21. The Darling eText
  22. The Darling Study Guide
  23. The Duel - Literary Characters
  24. The Kiss - Book Review
  25. The Lady with the Dog (1959)
  26. The Lady with the Dog - Literary Characters
  27. The Lady with the Pet Dog eText
  28. The Lady with the Pet Dog Study Guide
  29. The Oxford Companion to English Literature Article on Anton Chekhov
  30. The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare Article on Anton Chekhov
  31. The Oxford Dictionary of Plays Article on Anton Chekhov
  32. The Oxford Dictionary of Plays Article on The Cherry Orchard
  33. The Oxford Dictionary of Plays Article on Uncle Vanya
  34. The Seagull (1971)
  35. The Seagull - Book Review
  36. The Seagull - Literary Characters
  37. The Seagull - Literary Places
  38. The Seagull - Masterplots
  39. The Seagull - Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism
  40. The Seagull eText
  41. The Seagull Study Guide
  42. The Steppe - Literary Characters
  43. The Three Sisters (1965)
  44. The Three Sisters - Book Review
  45. The Three Sisters - Literary Characters
  46. The Three Sisters - Literary Places
  47. The Three Sisters - Masterplots
  48. The Three Sisters - Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism
  49. The Three Sisters eText
  50. The Three Sisters Study Guide
  51. Uncle Vanya - Book Review
  52. Uncle Vanya - Literary Places
  53. Uncle Vanya - Literary Places
  54. Uncle Vanya - Masterplots
  55. Uncle Vanya eText
  56. Uncle Vanya Study Guide (eNotes)
  57. Ward Six