The lady with the little dog/anton chekhov

The Lady with the Little Dog and Other Stories 1896-1904 is an enchanting collection of tales which showcase Anton Chekhov at the height of his power as a writer.

This Penguin Classics edition is translated by Ronald Wilks with an introduction by Paul Debreczeny.

In the final years of his life, Chekhov produced some of the stories that rank among his masterpieces, and some of the most highly-regarded works in Russian literature.

The poignant The Lady with the Little Dog and About Love examine the nature of love outside of marriage - its romantic idealism and the fear of disillusionment.

And in stories such as Peasants, The House with the Mezzanine and My Life Chekhov paints a vivid picture of the conditions of the poor and of their powerlessness in the face of exploitation and hardship.

With the works collected here, Chekhov moved away from the realism of his earlier tales - developing a broader range of characters and subject matter, while forging the spare minimalist style that would inspire such modern short-story writers as Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner.

Ronald Wilkss translation is accompanied by an introduction in which Paul Debreczeny discusses the themes that Chekhov adopted in his mature work.

This edition also includes a publishing history and notes for each story, a chronology and further reading.