Today’s story is a mere 1510 words: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/021.html Travis Review: This story felt like an Irish wake once the men started sneaking off to the cloak room to get a nip of booze in a teetotaler’s house. The result reminded me of The Pogues’ Body of An American, especially how song’s opening somber notes pick …
Relatively short story today at 884 words: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/019.html Travis Review: I saw this as a cautionary tale told from a graveyard. In one case, a person in the narrator’s party stumbles and catches himself on a titular counselor’s grave marker cross. The man had died in an accident, “a victim to his habits of observation.” Like …
Another short short with only 763 words. http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/016.html Travis Review: Today’s story feels like a companion piece to yesterday’s The Choristers. This time though, the point of view changes to the ruling class after a jubilee in a small town. In this case Zhmyhov (aka His Excellency, aka actual civil councillor) is genuinely driven to tears …
Today’s story is a short one at 1802 words. http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/015.html Travis Review: This reminded me of the movie “Waiting For Guffman.” A town is thrown into a tizzy by the expected arrival of a count. Details are given to the music selections and the stress the choir master feels, including his rivalry with the deacon. …
Today’s story is a bit longer at 7481 words. http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/014.html Travis Review: The Swedish Match is written very much like a classic murder mystery story until Chekhov turns the plot convention on its head. I love the a sixty year old, cantankerous magistrate, Tchubikov, leading a murder investigation while maligning his harder working, more thorough twenty-six year …
This story weighs in at 1294 words. http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/011.html Travis Review: This story is only interesting in that Chekhov would later on in life write plays that revolutionized theater with understated, realistic performances. Reading the line “…he trembled all over as nobody ever trembles in reality, and gasped loudly,” I felt Chekhov was already annoyed with the …
Only 886 words for today’s story, http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/009.html. Travis review: A quick portrait of government corruption. Voldyrev, a country gentleman, is practically invisible in the eyes of the clerk assigned to his case until rubles came out of his pocket. Nine-tenths of the story details the Voldyrev’s frustration at trying to inquire about his case and then …
Another short one weighing in at just over 1080 words: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/005.html Travis review: Oh those wacky peasants! I feel a better name should’ve been “How I Got Into Business School.” A nervous young lad goes to take his Greek exam and things do not go well. His mother is furious, but too exhausted in heartbreak …