Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

Because Chekhovs plays convey the universally recognizable, sometimes comic, sometimes dramatic, frustrations of decent people trying to make sense of their lives, they remain as fresh and vigorous as when they were written a century ago. Gathered here in superb new renderings by one of the most highly regarded translators of our time-versions that have been staged throughout the United States, Canada, and Great Britain-are Chekhovs four essential...

An old man and two children wander through the country and he answers all of their questions from his experience.

Nearly a thousand miles away from their beloved Moscow, three sisters live in virtual exile. Olga attemps to support her family and home that is the sole legacy from their late father. Masha finds relief from an empty marriage by being involved with a passionate young colonel. Irina wills herself to return the affections of an ardent suitor in the hope that he will whisk her off to the city. Sift through the debris of their shattered dreams on the...

"In A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders guides the reader through seven classic Russian short stories he's been teaching for twenty years as a professor in the prestigious Syracuse University graduate MFA creative writing program. Paired with stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, these essays are intended for anyone interested in how fiction works and why it's more relevant than ever in these turbulent times. Saunders approaches...

"Three days of rain weaves together six searing on the edge stories during a three day rainstorm in Cleveland, Ohio"--Container.