Showing results by author "Anton Chekhov" in All Categories

It was past midnight. Nikolay Yevgrafitch knew his wife would not be home very soon, not till five o'clock at least. He did not trust her, and when she was long away he could not sleep, was worried, and at the same time he despised his wife, and her bed, and her looking-glass, and her boxes of sweets, and the hyacinths, and the lilies of the valley which were sent her every day by someone or other, and which diffused the sickly fragrance of a florist's shop all over the house.

In the cheapest room of a big block of furnished apartments Stepan Klotchkov, a medical student in his third year, was walking to and fro, zealously conning his anatomy. In the window, covered by patterns of frost, sat Anyuta, a thin little brunette of five-and-twenty, very pale with mild grey eyes. Sitting with bent back she was busy embroidering with red thread the collar of a man's shirt. She was working against time....

I understood that when you love you must either, in your reasonings about that love, start from what is highest, from what is more important than happiness or unhappiness, sin or virtue in their accepted meaning, or you must not reason at all.

A native Frenchman no longer tutors the wealthy landlord's children, as they've grown up and left the house. The Frenchman is now paid simply to be around, to be properly dressed, to smell of scent, and to listen to Kamyshev's babble, to eat and drink and sleep. It may sound like a dream job, but there's always a catch. Read in English, unabridged.

Natalya Bronin is lying in her bedroom, her whole being abandoned to repose. She lies, deliciously drowsy, thinking of her little daughter, who lives somewhere far away with her grandmother or aunt. The child is more precious to her than the public, bouquets, notices in the papers, and adorers, and she would be glad to think about her till morning. She is happy, at peace, and all she longs for is not to be prevented from lying undisturbed, dozing and dreaming of her little girl. Read in English, unabridged.

Young, impressionable Masha sees a tragic actor, Fenogenov, during his benefit night and falls madly in love with him. Masha decides to run away with the actor and marry him despite her father's clear disapproval. Her father disowns her, describing her husband as idle, stupid and of no fixed home or occupation. Masha later finds herself in desperate need of money and has to seek help from her farther. Read in English, unabridged.

Tickets, please.... A phrase familiar to every train passenger. And every now and then, there's one without a ticket, with a good excuse ready. When Podtyagin, a seasoned ticket collector on a train, decides to give up drinking and work honestly at his job, it sounds like a good resolution. And this very day he comes across an 'unreasonable' passenger who finds the very word 'tickets' cruel and absurd. Read in English, unabridged.

Some of the happiest memories of childhood often come from memorable magical tales. Rediscover this magic with this collection of fairy tales and stories.

This volume includes 'Little Red Riding-Hood' and 'The Sleeping Beauty' by Charles Perrault; 'The Looking Glass' and 'Her Husband' by Anton Chekhov; and 'The Gift of The Magi' by O. Henry.

Chekhov says truth and falsehood both play important roles in the personal happiness of men. Could this also be the cause of both passionate romance and a failed relationship between an impoverished Russian prince and a rich landowner? This story examines the very essence of human psychology, providing valuable insight into complexities of such concepts as happiness, deception, romance and depression.

Big raindrops were pattering on the dark windows. It was one of .those disgusting summer holiday rains which, when they have begun, last a long time - for weeks, till the frozen holiday maker grows used to it and sinks into complete apathy. It was cold; there was a feeling of raw, unpleasant dampness. The mother-in-law of a lawyer, called Kvashin, and his wife, Nadyezhda Filippovna, dressed in waterproofs and shawls, were sitting over the dinner table in the dining room.

The party of sportsmen spent the night in a peasant's hut on some newly mown hay. The moon peeped in at the window; from the street came the mournful wheezing of a concertina; from the hay came a sickly sweet, faintly troubling scent. The sportsmen talked about dogs, about women, about first love and about snipe.

The charming Vanda - or, as she was described in her passport, the Honourable Citizen Nastasya Kanavkin - found herself, on leaving the hospital, in a position she had never been in before: without a home to go to or a farthing in her pocket. What was she to do? Read in English, unabridged.

One day when she was younger and better looking, and when her voice was stronger, Nikolay Petrovitch Kolpakov, her adorer, was sitting in the outer room in her summer villa. It was intolerably hot and stifling. Kolpakov, who had just dined and drunk a whole bottle of inferior port, felt ill humoured and out of sorts. Both were bored and waiting for the heat of the day to be over in order to go for a walk. Read in English, unabridged.

One must never judge by appearances! Look at this book: it has long ago been read. It is warped, tattered, and lies in the dust uncared for; but open it, and it will make you weep and turn pale. My sister is like that book. Lift the cover and peep into her soul, and you will be horror-stricken. Read in English, unabridged.

This collection provides over five hours of radio dramatizations of some of the greatest literature ever written, as adapted, produced, and directed by Joe Bevilacqua.

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904), sometimes referred to as the chronicler of the Russian period of depression and pessimism, was the leader of the realistic school of the Russian short story. His ability to create an atmosphere and build to a climax is unparalleled. He takes a moment in the protagonists' lives and reveals their souls in a handful of phrases. Mediocrity, pettiness, emptiness and meaninglessness are core themes as he strips bare the rot at the core of social structures.

A collection of stories prized for their craftsmanship and comic irony from Russia’s greatest novelists and dramatists. The audiobook features Ivan Turgenev's "Mumu" and 11 Anton Chekhov stories: "A Tragic Actor", "In a Strange Land", "Oh the Public", "The Looking Glass", "Her Husband", "Overdoing It", "Talent", "Anyuta", "The Helpmate", "Ivan Matveyich", and "Polinka".

A timeless observation of the human condition from one of the best story writers in the history of world literature. Chekhov’s stream-of-consciousness technique that revolutionised modern literature and his characteristic mix of humour and poignancy unite the 11 stories featured in this collection: "A Tragic Actor", "In a Strange Land", "Oh the Public", "The Looking Glass", "Her Husband", "Overdoing It", "Talent", "Anyuta", "The Helpmate", "Ivan Matveyich", and "Polinka".

A collection of short stories by Anton Chekhov, featuring "A Tragic Actor", "In a Strange Land", "Oh the Public", "The Looking Glass", "Her Husband", and "Overdoing It".

These stories are small masterpieces. The scene is set quickly, and within a few sentences the storyline is underway. But all seem to contain elements of the unexpected.

The poignant, everyday dramas of imperial Russia with subtle sound effects, including music by Pyotr Tchaikovskiy, and the Russian-sounding narrator adds credibility and authenticity to the listening.

Featuring: Talent, Anyuta, The Helpmate, Ivan Matveyitch, and Polinka.

Read in English by Max Bollinger (unabridged) and accompanied by Tchaikovskiy piano music.