Find today’s 4756 word story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/051.html Travis Review In today’s story there is a question of whether or not Raïssa is a witch. Chekhov titled his story “The Witch” and her husband Savély — a sexton, who seems to be lucky enough to have a married a pretty, young bride and gained property (although it seems like …
Our fiftieth reviewed story comes in at 2236 words. Find it here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/050.html Travis Review: Today’s story about a procrastinating intellectual and his dense protégé makes me wonder if Chekhov was writing about himself in an abstract way. The “fairly well-known man of learning” tells his wife he’s going to fire his assistant, Ivan Matveyitch. …
Today’s story has 1531 words and can be found here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/049.html Travis Review: Today’s story seems like the most modern story we’ve had from Chekhov and I wonder if there were women like Anyuta in the student housing areas when he was a student. Anyuta lives with Stepan, a medical student, “in the cheapest room of …
Find today 2059 word story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/048.html Travis Review: Societal prejudices can run deep, even against family members. Such is the case for Andrey Andreyitch, a shopkeeper who believed he was doing the right thing by requesting a prayer for his departed daughter. The problem is how he wrote the note. “For the rest of the soul …
Find today’s almost 2500 word story here http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/047.html Travis Review This is a comic-tragedy of a simpleton actor used more for his size than talent. He’s dying in a dilapidated room, mostly from heartbreak than from an specific illness. Shtchiptsov seems like Lenny from Of Mice and Men, a hulking man with simple thoughts. In this …
You can find today’s 2814 word story here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/046.html Travis Review This story hit close to home for me. My first few jobs living in Los Angeles were in the entertainment industry. There were ruthless bullies who had power through celebrity, nepotism or position attained by calculative tenacity. In Mahenka’s case, she is working her first …
This 2293 word classic can be found here: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/045.html Travis Review: Stories like this is why I read Chekhov. Misery is a sincere, gut-wrenching examination of humanity, our desperate need to communicate, and kindness. When I saw this title was coming up, I remembered the story was significant, although I couldn’t recall the details. Reading the …
Today’s story contains 1926 words: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/044.html Travis Review: Today’s story revolves around children gambling while waiting up for their parents to arrive home with details of a christening. Chekhov’s utilizes an omniscient point of view to reveal the motivations each child (five) has in the loto game. The money involved is slight, a kopek — which like …
Today’s story is a short one…only 645 words! http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/043.html Travis Review: We have four characters in today’s flash story: a pair of scheming parents, their daughter, and a writing teacher. The story seems like a scene in bedroom farce play. Like Steve mentions below, there are a lot of references to writers and writing. When …
Today’s story is 2286 words and his first of 1886: http://www.chekhovshorts.com/stories/041.html Travis Review: In today’s story, we get to watch an artist at work. Seryozhka is an irascible “a short-legged, ragged, mangy-looking fellow” who has but one talent in the world. And to his credit, he uses it. His art allows him to be awful and …