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The Chekhov Collection of Short Stories
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
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Summary
Whilst Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) is perhaps best for his plays such as Uncle Vanya and The Seagull, he was also a prolific author of short stories.
In this exclusive collection, Audible presents six of his most-celebrated short stories, chosen and performed by Richard Armitage.
Richard, whose interest in the work of Chekhov was sparked by his appearance as Astrov in a stage production of Uncle Vanya, also introduces the collection with a brief overview of each of the stories and his thoughts on why Chekhov’s short stories are not to be missed.
The collection contains the following stories:
'Ward 6'
In a mental asylum, a patient comes into conflict with a director of the institution.
'The Kiss'
During a party, a man becomes infatuated by a woman who accidentally kisses him in the dark.
'Betrothed'
A young woman strives to asset her independence by choosing education over an arranged marriage.
'The Black Monk'
An ageing scholar experiences strange hallucinations.
Is he a genius, or is he insane?
'Neighbours'
A beautiful young woman subverts society expectations by going to live with her neighbour, an older, married man.
'The Student'
A depressed young student has his spirits lifted by recounting an religious story to two strangers.
Richard Armitage records Chekhov short stories at home
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What listeners say about The Chekhov Collection of Short Stories
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- papapownall
- 31-07-20
There is more to Chekhov than his plays
Chekhov considered medicine to be his lawful wedded wife and literature to be his mistress. As well as the plays for which he is most celebrated, Chekhov was a prolific writer of short stories and this collection contains six of the best of them. The character descriptions are strong and we hear about simple hearted but dim witted peasants, dying men who are visited by phantoms and physicians in asylums who are as deranged as their patients. Apparently Chekhov wrote these works late in his life when he was suffering from consumption and this is surely reflected in the characters he creates who are stoic and crave the natural world.
The collection is expertly narrated by the actor Richard Armitage who explains in the prelude that having acted in Chekhov plays he wanted to find out more about who he was and I would recommend this to anyone who ponders the same questions.
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15 people found this helpful
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- M. L. Norman
- 01-10-21
What? Did Chekhov write in English?!!
Nowhere was the translator deemed worthy of mention even though they wrote the English being spoken. Audible/Amazon need to up their game. Then I will be happy to give a proper review
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6 people found this helpful
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- Phoenix
- 27-12-20
Fantastic!
Bought this after watching richard armitage in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. Fabulously read and very intriguing plots. Next I'll be reading more of his plays.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Janet
- 15-07-20
A grim miscellany. The content was unrelievedly s
.Darkness of the writing was at times overwhelming and resonated with Covid times. The reading was good but could have been more nuanced. I had hoped for a more vital and gently humorous selection.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Magil909
- 25-01-21
Excellent Narration
the stories of Anton Chekhov are brought to life through the excellent narration of Richard Armitage.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Sujeeth Kumar
- 06-01-21
Timeless and wonderfully narrated...
Had been wanting to explore Russian authors and loved this set of short stories by Chekhov. Simple, varied and real. Must listen to all those who love short stories.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 19-06-22
Brilliant
I really enjoyed this, but agree with another reviewer who mentions the translation. It would be really helpful to know who the translator is when the books aren’t originally written in English. It seems such an oversight.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Roly
- 20-03-21
Intense
I’d seen the production of Uncle Vanya but this collection of short stories was new. In a sense the circumstances are dated as are the characters but the human condition and emotions are timeless. It’s serious sober writing, with nightmarish scenarios which are intense and dark; of love, philosophy religion and disease, usually TB; an insight of Russia before the revolution. These are classics, compulsory reading for the committed but unlikely to reach mainstream again.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Ele
- 09-03-21
Tangled daydreams of hope & melancholy
I don't know how to explain these stories, I don't think I've ever read or listened to anything quite like them. It's a bit like looking into someone else's daydreams. They're full of the mundane and the fantastical. It's a bit like Chekhov imagines the lives of others and lives them for them full of hope and vibrancy in his head, but his melancholy comes through in the background. Maybe it's because Chekhov himself died relatively young and suffered ill health, maybe there's a longing to live.
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1 person found this helpful
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- bookylady
- 12-12-20
Great stories.
I am not really a fan of short stories but I have enjoyed productions of Chekhov plays, so decided to give this collection a try. I was not disappointed. Some stories are quite long, others are not. But all of them can be appreciated as mini classics, I think, and though they were written a long time ago they do not feel tired or dated. The writing is remarkably fresh, spare and insightful.
Richard Armitage is my favourite narrator and he does another superb job on this production.
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