About Love and Other Stories

Raymond Carvers unequivocal verdict on Chekhovs genius has been echoed many times by writers as diverse as Katherine Mansfield, Somerset Maugham, John Cheever and Tobias Wolf. While his popularity as a playwright has sometimes overshadowed his achievements in prose, the importance of Chekhovs stories is now recognized by readers as well as by fellow authors. Their themes - alienation, the absurdity and tragedy of human existence - have as much relevance today as when they were written, and these superb new translations capture their modernist spirit. Elusive and subtle, spare and unadorned, the stories in this selection are among Chekhovs most poignant and lyrical. They include well-known pieces such as The Lady with the Little Dog, as well as less familiar work like Gusev, inspired by Chekhovs travels in the Far East, and Rothschilds Violin, a haunting and darkly humorous tale about death and loss.