Find Chekhov’s last story (1762 words) from 1887 here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/145.html
Travis review
I could be wrong, but I believe this is the first time that Chekhov has written in the first person from a woman’s perspective. Most of his story’s are third person, the last first person POV was the Notes From the Underground send-up, story #125, Diary of a Violent-Tempered Man. It is too bad the story is called “A Lady’s Story,” as it could have been more gender neutral like “The Pitfalls of Rank and Wealth” or “The Wounds from Class Lovefare.” But perhaps “Lady” in the title is more about her rank, like formal English and Irish uses of the word. Regardless, I take it that Natalya Vladimirovna is used to living a morose or at least blasé life until her rain-soaked ride with Pyotr Sergeyitch. “My father and brother, who were not used to seeing me laughing and light-hearted, looked at me in surprise…” His words to her are like a sunlight beaming on her soul, yet she won’t let a relationship happen as she sees society’s barriers too high to climb over. “I had rank and wealth, while he was poor, and he was not even a nobleman, but only the son of a deacon and a deputy public prosecutor...” Although the plots and societal mores differ wildly, this story reminded me of Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence. The story jumps to the present tense with Natalya worn and sad having lived nine years in lonely retrospect. But there is an interesting line when Pytor visits her. “I saw from his eyes that he was sorry for me; and I was sorry for him, too, and vexed with this timid, unsuccessful man who could not make a life for me, nor for himself.” Although regretting not being with a Pytor, she also believes a marriage to him would have been a failure too. Damned if you do, damned if don’t…
Rating: 6