Ward No. 6 and Other Stories

By: Anton Chekhov and Constance Garnett and David Plante

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Synopsis: Anton Chekhovinvented the modern short story. With writing that is concise, realistic, and evocative, he became a sort of photographer in words, less interested in plot than in the subtleties of mood and atmosphere, and the telling detail. His characters, always vividly drawn, come from all walks of life and often seem to be caught up in a world they don't quite understand. Early in his brief literary career, Chekhov outlined in a letter to his brother his idea of the ingredients of a good short story. Arguing against moral judgments and political, economic, or social commentary, he wrote, "To describe . . . you need . . . to free yourself from the personal expression. . . . Subjectivity is a terrible thing. " Instead, he favored objectivity, truthfulness, originality, compassion, and brevity. Although his writing developed and matured, he remained largely faithful to these principles. This new selection of twenty-three stories explores the entire range of Chekhov's short fiction, from early sketches, such as "The Cook's Wedding" (1885) and "On the Road" (1886) to late works, such as "In the Ravine" (1900) and "The Bishop" (1902). Ward No. 6 and Other Storiesincludes some of his most popular tales, such as the title story and "The Lady with the Dog" (1899), as well as several lesser-known works, no less masterful in their composition.