Find today’s 3886 word story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/191.html
Travis review:
So this is the third story featuring Ivan Iavnovitch and Burkin and the second with Alehin. The story picks up the following day from Gooseberries. When Alehin tells his story it helps answer the curious details in Gooseberries, like why Alehin was so filthy and in desperate want for company. Although this line occurred toward the end of the story, I thought it would be a wonderful way to kick off a story: “There is a proverb that if a peasant woman has no troubles she will buy a pig. The Luganovitchs had no troubles, so they made friends with me.” Brilliant. The story itself was one of unspoken and unacted love that devastates two people who do their best to ignore their desire and keep proper appearances. In a way it reminded me of The Age of Innocence. Alehin was filled with overwhelming love, but unable to act upon it. Outside of the trial that Alehin served on as a juror (an unjust charge against four Jews being incendiaries), nothing in this story excited me. It wasn’t bad, but just okay.
Rating: 6