Anton Chekhov left an indelible impact on every literary form in which he wrote, but none more so than short fiction. Now, renowned translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky give us their renderings of fifty-two Chekhov stories. These stories, which span the complete arc of his career, reveal the extraordinary variety and unexpectedness of his work, from the farcically comic to the darkly complex, showing that there is no one single type of "Chekhov story." They are populated by a remarkable range of characters who come from all parts of Russia and all walks of life, including landowners, peasants, soldiers, farmers, teachers, students, hunters, shepherds, mistresses, wives, and children. Taken together, they demonstrate how Chekhov democratized the form. Included in this volume are tales translated into English for the first time, including "Reading" and "An Educated Blockhead." Early stories such as "Joy," "Anguish," and "A Little Joke" sit alongside such later works as "The Siren," "Big Volodya and Little Volodya," "In the Cart," and "About Love." In its range, in its narrative artistry, and in its perceptive probing of the human condition, this collection promises profound delight.

Preface --Joy -- Fat and skinny -- Reading -- The cook gets married -- In a foreign land -- Corporal Whompov -- Grief -- The exclamation point -- An educated blockhead -- A slip-up -- Anguish -- A commotion -- The witch -- A little joke -- Agafya -- Spring -- A nightmare -- Grisha -- Ladies -- Romance with a double bass -- The chorus girl -- The first-class passenger -- Difficult people -- On the road -- The beggar -- Enemies -- The letter -- Volodya -- Luck -- The siren -- The shepherd's pipe -- Costly lessons -- The kiss -- Boys -- Kashtanka -- The name-day party -- A breakdown -- The bet -- The princess -- After the theatre -- History of a business enterprise -- Neighbors -- Fear -- Big Volodya and little Volodya -- The teacher of literature -- In a country house -- The pecheneg -- In the cart -- About love -- Ionych -- The new dacha -- Notes.