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Anton Chekhov
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Tales of Chekhov (13 Volume Set) Paperback – October 24, 2006

by Anton Chekhov (Author), Constance Garnett (Translator), Richard Ford (Introduction)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 20 ratings
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In honour of its 35th anniversary, Ecco is proud to reissue Constance Garnett's 1929 13–volume Tales of Chekhov, heralded as one of the finest Chekhov translations ever.

Anton Chekhov's short fiction is admired and cherished by readers the world over. This stunning boxed set brings together the largest, most comprehensive selection of his stories, all full of humor, truth, and vast insight. Included are the familiar masterpieces–"The Kiss," "The Darling," and "The Lady with the Dog"––as well as several brilliant but lesser–known tales such as "A Blunder," "Hush!," and "Champagne." The entire collection is introduced by Richard Ford's perceptive essay "Why We Like Chekhov. while each individual volume includes a brief reminiscence on the meaning of Chekhov from a celebrated author, among them Nadine Gordimer, Susan Sontag, Harold Brodkey, Cynthia Ozick, and Russell Banks. Amidst a sea of Chekhov translations, Constance Garnett, who brought Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Turgenev to the English–speaking world, has a style particularly suited to Chekhov's prose. Her benchmark translations enable readers to immerse themselves in his world, experiencing the breadth of his talent in one voice.

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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Ecco
  3. Publication date
    October 24, 2006
  4. Dimensions
    7.75 x 5.5 x 11.25 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0061153869
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0061153860
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born in Taganrog, Ukraine in 1860. First published in the eighteen-eighties, he was a celebrated figure in Russia by the time of his death in 1904, but he remained relatively unknown internationally until the years after World War I, when his works were translated into English. His essays, plays, poetry, and short fiction have been translated into countless languages and he is remembered today as a master of the modern short story.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ecco; BOX edition (October 24, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0061153869
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061153860
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.75 x 5.5 x 11.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 20 ratings

About the author

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Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov

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Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (/ˈtʃɛkɔːf, -ɒf/; Russian: Анто́н Па́влович Че́хов, pronounced [ɐnˈton ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ ˈtɕɛxəf]; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short story writer who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short fiction in history. His career as a playwright produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics. Along with Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg, Chekhov is often referred to as one of the three seminal figures in the birth of early modernism in the theater.Chekhov practiced as a medical doctor throughout most of his literary career: "Medicine is my lawful wife", he once said, "and literature is my mistress."

Chekhov renounced the theatre after the disastrous reception of The Seagull in 1896, but the play was revived to acclaim in 1898 by Constantin Stanislavski's Moscow Art Theatre, which subsequently also produced Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and premiered his last two plays, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. These four works present a challenge to the acting ensemble as well as to audiences, because in place of conventional action Chekhov offers a "theatre of mood" and a "submerged life in the text".

Chekhov had at first written stories only for financial gain, but as his artistic ambition grew, he made formal innovations which have influenced the evolution of the modern short story. He made no apologies for the difficulties this posed to readers, insisting that the role of an artist was to ask questions, not to answer them.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Unknown[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
20 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the covers handsomely designed and the scope comprehensive. They also say the stories are not hard, boring, or dense. Opinions differ on readability, with some finding it very readable and others saying it's a low-quality ebook.

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ArtworkScopeStoryReadability
4 customers mention "Artwork"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the covers handsomely designed and the scene on the bindings nice.

"...Even the colorful, striking painting by Vasily Ivanovich Surikov covering the 13 spines of the books is an added attraction setting off this boxed..." Read more

"...2. The covers are handsomely designed, and on the back, each volume has a blurb from a prominent writer--such stalwarts as Nadine Gordimer and..." Read more

"...The books are put together well. The scene on the bindings is very nice. The font is older and does not diminish readability...." Read more

"...I find the old-style type rather charming and certainly not ugly. Amazon has just reduced the price for the set to $60, a phenomenal deal...." Read more

3 customers mention "Scope"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the scope of the book most comprehensive in English, and say it's the best set available for under $100.

"...collection of Chekhov stories in what is still the best complete translation available in English." (The Atlantic Monthly)...." Read more

"...This is the most comprehensive set available in English, in the US, so far...." Read more

"...is about the box set of short stories which is probably the most comprehensive you'll find anywhere for under $100...." Read more

3 customers mention "Story"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the stories in the book not hard, boring, or dense.

"...These 13 volumes represent "the most comprehensive collection of Chekhov stories in what is still the best complete translation available in English..." Read more

"...Really. These are not hard, boring, dense stories...." Read more

"...The pages are not an issue. The stories are popular classics to less known classics.This set cannot disappoint anyone." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"3 positive2 negative

Customers are mixed about the readability of the book. Some mention that it's very readable and the pages are not an issue, while others say that it is a really low-quality ebook.

"...old-style type and print, I think it's a plus--thick, generous, very readable...." Read more

"...this at $2 thinking it was a steal, but it's actually just a really low-quality ebook. Pretty much unreadable." Read more

"...The font is older and does not diminish readability. The pages are not an issue. The stories are popular classics to less known classics...." Read more

"...Yes, the paper and print of the books themselves are not of the finest quality...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Kay's Husband
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE OF LITERATURE
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2008
Verified Purchase
I started reading the Russian writers--Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Pushkin, Turgenev, Gogol, and Chekhov--in the mid-1960s with Anton Chekhov becoming my favorite of all. Anyone developing an appreciation of Chekhov's writings will be overjoyed with this astounding boxed set of 13 books.

I've read all the reviews here and have to disagree with any that do not find praise and pleasure in these 13 volumes being back in print again. Even the colorful, striking painting by Vasily Ivanovich Surikov covering the 13 spines of the books is an added attraction setting off this boxed set, visually announcing to readers that this is a unique set of books.

The first volume of Constance Black Garnett's volumes of Chekhov's writings was printed in 1916. By then she had already released translations of Turgenev's writings in 13 volumes, and 7 volumes of Dostoyevsky's plus translations of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and War and Peace. Almost anyone reading the works of Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, or Chekhov in the early years of the 20th century read them via her quality translations.

By 1984, Echo Press began to re-publish all 201 of Garnett's translations. These 13 volumes represent "the most comprehensive collection of Chekhov stories in what is still the best complete translation available in English." (The Atlantic Monthly). At the price of $150 dollars, even without Amazon's generous discount, this boxed set is one of the best bargains I've seen in the near 50 years reading and collecting books.

It is evident whoever put this set back into existence not only has a love of literature, but has great appreciation of Anton Chekhov's writings. Though I took several comparative literature courses in college, cannot recall Chekhov being included. Since I have purchased books by Anton Chekhov since the middle 1960s, can safely say his writings are today both much more difficult and much more expensive when found than ever before. We very much need a collection of his writings such as this to remain in print.

A reader finding any fault whatever in this modestly price boxed set has little understanding of the dilemma of anyone seeking to own a set of Anton Chekhov's writings. These 13 volumes are without any doubt the best we've ever seen in our lifetime or probably will ever see. This is a truly magnificent publishing venture to be celebrated.

Get them before they are no longer extant. A boxed set of these 13 volumes now sits on my home library shelves.

Semper Fi.
23 people found this helpful
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Roman
5.0 out of 5 stars A cherishable collection
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2008
Verified Purchase
I've read almost all of Chekhov's stories in translation--and have always wanted to own this collection, although the material is all available online. I'm very happy with my purchase, and here's why:

1. The volumes are almost exact replicas of first editions released from 1916-1922: While some may consider this a drawback, with the old-style type and print, I think it's a plus--thick, generous, very readable. Chekhov is one of those writers who is meant to be read slowly; the pages here are not crammed with small, light print, and seem to encourage one to savor the writing.

These are the editions through which many great American writers, from Hemingway to Eudora Welty discovered Chekhov.

2. The covers are handsomely designed, and on the back, each volume has a blurb from a prominent writer--such stalwarts as Nadine Gordimer and Cynthia Ozick write about what Chekhov means to them. These notes, plus Richard Ford's wonderful intro, "Why We Like Chekhov," feel like must-reads.

If you like Alice Munro and Antonya Nelson (as I do), I'm finding that Chekhov, in spirit and essence, almost anticipates those two contemporary masters. But unfortunately, anthologies repeatedly seem to go for only a few Chekhov stories. Scores of lesser-known ones are left out--which is why the complete collection is invaluable to me. I'd read a Munro story, which might remind me of a Chekhov piece (not that Munro is derivative at all, just that in spirit there's a resemblance), and I'd look through the complete list, and find something written in the 1890s that informs and illuminates my understanding and experience of Munro today.

There are certain writers whose work, I believe, one must have physically on the shelf--Shakespeare and Chekhov among them. This is the most comprehensive set available in English, in the US, so far. (A more extensive "Collected Works" was issued in English translation by a Russian publisher in the 80s, but is unavailable in the US.)

But that's my side. About you: If you are new to Chekhov, you might want to get a "selection" such as the ones recommended by the other excellent reviewers; if however, you are familiar with and admire Chekhov--strongly recommend this.
17 people found this helpful
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Allen C
1.0 out of 5 stars Kindle edition is lousy
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
This review is for the Kindle edition. My star rating does not reflect the quality of the contents, but rather the formatting.

The Kindle edition has no functioning table of contents, no navigation, no chapters. All of the stories are run together without any pagebreaks.

I bought this at $2 thinking it was a steal, but it's actually just a really low-quality ebook. Pretty much unreadable.
5 people found this helpful
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S. Henderson
4.0 out of 5 stars Everything I expected...
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2012
Verified Purchase
There isn't much to say about Chekhov that hasn't already been said better by other reviewers so this review is about the box set of short stories which is probably the most comprehensive you'll find anywhere for under $100. The paperbacks are the Constance Garnett translations (which I prefer over the recent modern ones) and contain over 200 stories - a goldmine. They are easy to hold while reading in any position and, for the price, as good as it gets. Some readers have complained about the quality of the paper but these books (at the price I bought them for, $60)are about $5 apiece; a steal IMHO. That said, I've immersed myself in a random selection in an afternoon, reading 3 stories one after another and I can get used to this. All in all, a real keeper. I won't be looking for any more short story collections by A. Chekhov anymore, it's all here.
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

G
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 6, 2013
Verified Purchase
Chekhov's collected stories, in the only full collection available online that I could find, are excellent, displaying the full spectrum of human emotion and complexity to such an extent that I know of no other author other than Shakespeare who was able to so utterly give life to his characters. For the titan that he is, and the richness of his stories alone, this is worth the buy.

The Constance Garnett translations deserve their dubious reputaion, with newer translations such as those by the Pevear couple are far closer to the Russian and remaining good in English (a trait not shared by translations from the Russian by Nabokov).

The quality of the paper and binding is bellow par, and would highly recomend care when reading, though read you must.
3 people found this helpful
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