Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904), Russian physician, renowned short story author and playwright wrote Uncle Vanya (1899);

Often ambiguous, at times humorous, gritty, haunting, ironic, anecdotal, facetious, lyrical, apathetic, bizarre, passionate and tragic, Chekhov's works explore the entire range of the human spirit. Through his use of such Chekhovian elements as subjective observation, stream of consciousness, character epiphanies, and juxtapositions of pessimism and humour we are immersed in the lives of Chekhov's complex characters. He spurned the more traditional story as moral lesson found in the style of Fyodor Dostoevsky. He wanted his works to ask the reader questions, not to provide answers. While he started out with more comedic sketches and doggerel published under pseudonyms such as Antosha Chekhonte, Chekov went on to write dozens of stories, many critically acclaimed as fine exemplars of the craft and still studied today. His autobiographical journey as seen through the eyes of a child "The Steppe" earned him the Pushkin Prize in 1888. His works have inspired countless contemporary authors and playwrights including George Bernard Shaw, James Joyce, Raymond Carver, Ernest Hemingway, and Virginia Woolf. Chekhov's plays are said to be second only to those of William Shakespeare in stage popularity.