This collection of Chekhov stories has many of his most well-known, longer tales. The common theme in most of them is disillusionment. From the teacher in "The Russian Master" to the husband in "Terror," the characters discover how banal their lives are, and how truly unhappy they are. Only in a few, such as in the story "Angel" or "Lady with a Lapdog", do the characters seem hopeful, but only because they are oblivious to how futile their lives are.
Contents: His Wife, A Lady with a Dog, The Duel, A Hard Case, Gooseberries, Concerning Love, Peasants, Angel, The Russian Master, Terror, The Order of St. Anna ( )