Ward No. 6 and Other Stories, 1892-1895

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Ward No. 6 and Other Stories, 1892-1895
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Anton Chekhov
Translated by Ronald Wilks
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:368
Dimensions(mm): Height 198,Width 129
Category/GenreClassic fiction (pre c 1945)
Short stories
ISBN/Barcode 9780140447866
ClassificationsDewey:891.733
Audience
General

Publishing Details

Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Imprint Penguin Classics
Publication Date 30 May 2002
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

These stories from the middle period of Chekhov's career show him exploring complex, ambiguous and often extreme emotions. Influenced by his own experiences as a doctor, 'Ward No. 6', set in a mental hospital, is a savage indictment of the medical profession. 'The Black Monk', portraying an academic who has strange hallucinations, explores ideas of genius and insanity; in 'Murder', religious fervour leads to violence; while in 'The Student', Chekhov's favourite story, a young man recounts a tale from the gospels and undergoes a spiritual epiphany. In all the stories collected here, Chekhov's characters face madness, alienation and frustration before they experience brief, ephemeral moments of insight, often earned at great cost, where they confront the reality of their existence.

Author Biography

Anton Chekhov (1860-1904) was a Russian physician and writer of short stories and plays, including the masterpieces: 'Uncle Vanya', 'The Seagull', and 'The Cherry Orchard'. Ronald Wilks has translated many Russian works including, for Penguin, those of Gorky, Sologub, Tolstoy, Pushkin, and Chekhov. J. Douglas Clayton is Professor of Russian at the University of Ottawa. He is the author of 'Pierrot in Petrograd' about the Commedia dell'arte and the Russian tradition.